The Rise of Death and Despair
by bathedinblood
Summary: When Kakashi makes a bid to save the world from an enraged Naruto, he ends up being sucked into the portal with him. On the other side, Kakashi and Naruto are pulled into a world of politics and insurrection. Amidst the chaos of a revolution, will they find their way back home, or lose themselves to the call of war?
1. Chapter 1

I did that little oneshot, now I'm hooked on FullMetal Alchemist. What can I say? I like it. Anyway, I've decided to do a little crossover, one that I see doing _very_ nicely. My favorite episode from FullMetal included Gluttony getting rather fearful. Truth be told, Greed wasn't all that tough. So I've decided to put something far more sinister in Greed's place. After all, a Homunculus doesn't hold a candle to a **demon**.

* * *

(Land of Rivers, forest near Akatsuki safehouse)

"GAARA!"

The sheer amount of anguish and pain in the boy's voice was tangible to the others present. Kakashi, his teacher, lowered his head in respect to the recently deceased Kazekage, but his his mind ran a mile a minute. _Gaara...he was the closest thing to a brother that Naruto had. He and Naruto had both been chosen by their leaders to bear the burdens of becoming jinchuriki._ _To lose him, all because of the demon that he had carried..._

On the same perch as himself, Kakashi turned to see one of Naruto's shadow clones begin clutching his head in pain. Kakashi's eyes widened as the clone began screaming in agony, before exploding in a puff of smoke. Kakashi turned back swiftly to the original, and he was startled to feel that vaguely familiar energy. The evil aura of the Nine-tailed Fox. Kakashi had felt the oppressive killer intent the night of its sealing, and the memory didn't even hold a candle to what he felt now. Fear began to creep into his very core, and Kakashi's mind changed gears. The silver-haired jounin was used to being the superior in battle; being as skilled and experienced as he was, he could easily turn the tide of any battle. But as he flinched in fear at the evil energy pouring out of his pupil, he went from ninja commander to instinctive animal. And his instincts were telling him to run.

"Sakura, Lady Chiyo, Gai, get everyone out of here!" Kakashi ordered loudly. His pink-haired teammate, Sakura, was the first to respond, and she grabbed the elderly Lady Chiyo and bounded through the trees to safer ground. The green spandex-clad jounin, Might Gai, caught on a second later and led his team into the forest, away from Kakashi and his deranged student. The Copy Ninja watched them all go, then turned back toward Naruto. He gasped at the sight that greeted him.

Naruto no longer stood on the same branch as his dead friend. He now sat on the destroyed remains of an oak tree, on all fours and hunched up, like an animal. More specifically, Kakashi noted grimly, like a fox. _This is bad,_ Kakashi thought solemnly. His thoughts flew back to his talk with Jiraiya, on how Naruto behaved while under the influence of the Fox.

_"I'm not going to lie to you, Kakashi. Should Naruto lose control, should he go absolutely crazy with rage or sorrow... you need to flee." Jiraiya said sternly. Kakashi kept a condescending tone out of his voice, but the mood was displayed clearly through his one visible eye._

_"Master Jiraiya. Are you saying I'm not skilled enough to take down one angry teenager?" Kakashi asked coolly. He knew Jiraiya was being cautious, but this bad? Come on, give the Copy Ninja some credit. Jiraiya shook his head and sighed heavily._

_"Kakashi, use your head. Do you really think you could face the full brunt of the Nine-Tails' power?" Kakashi didn't reply, but his gaze fell to the ground. Was...was it that bad? Jiraiya uncrossed his arms and unbuttoned his gi, and slid the thick green vest off of his shoulders to reveal a chain mail shirt. Kakashi cocked an eyebrow as the Toad Sannin continued to undress his upper body. While he unhooked the shirt, Jiraiya explained._

_"In all my long years, I've come close to death only twice. Once, when Tsunade caught me doing 'research' at a local hot spring. Man, she beat me like a drum." The Toad Sage chuckled. With all of the hooks unclasped, he pulled upward on the shirt, enough to reveal his chest. And the extremely large and ugly scar that ran from his pelvis to just under his throat._

_"The second time was when Naruto lost control during training, while we were trying to control __the Fox's chakra. He maintained friend and foe recognition and logical thinking for a while. But when he unleashed the fourth tail, all traces of Naruto Uzumaki were devoured by a bloodthirsty, evil creature. And he very nearly killed me, Kakashi." Jiraiya said gravely. With the scar shown, he donned the shirt and gi once more. The silence allowed Kakashi to think over his words._

_Naruto, almost kill Jiraiya of the Sannin? Sure, it was probable with the Fox's chakra, but the full scale of the danger finally hit Kakashi. The Copy Ninja shook his head in wonder, but stalled any questions. Jiraiya had obviously been prepared for this conversation, so he'd let the older man take the lead once more._

_When Jiraiya finally finished redressing, he dug into a side pocket on his vest and pulled out a wad of paper. As Kakashi examined it closely, he found that it was covered with several intricate markings, and had the words 'suppression seal' written in kanji in the middle. He took seals and nodded his thanks, before stowing the seals away into his jounin vest._

_"Should Naruto go berserk and become uncontrollable, put one of these on his forehead," Jiraiya instructed. He set his a hand on his hip and made the motion to wipe his brow._

_"I can't tell you how many times those things saved me during his training. If you're going to be taking care of him, those seals will be vital." Kakashi nodded, then looked back toward his two former students. They were both sitting at the long bar of Ichiraku Ramen, and he could see smiles on both of their faces. As he watched the scene, Jiraiya silently slipped away into the crowd, leaving Kakashi to ponder their conversation, as well as the future ahead._

Jiraiya's words echoed in the Copy Ninja's head as he watched Naruto look around for a target. Even as Kakashi watched, a cloak of crimson chakra poured out of Naruto, and began to completely cover the tin's body. Alarm shot through Kakashi as he watched the chakra take the form of ears atop the blonde's head. A large portion of the bubbling energy concentrated near his lower back as well, before shooting out into the shape of two fox-like tails.

_Damn,_ Kakashi thought solemnly. _He went straight to the second tail._ The Copy Ninja watched silently as the young shinobi turned toward a large oak tree and swiped at it, his fingers curled like claws. The red chakra extended from his arm slightly, and Kakashi was amazed to see a tree at least eight feet thick in diameter slashed in half as if it were a toothpick. _Master Jiraiya was right. He does become powerful._ Kakashi realized, and he watched Naruto slash at another large tree in rage. _I'll have to get close to him and suppress his chakra quickly, or things will end badly._

Kakashi nodded grimly to himself, then jumped down from his perch. He landed roughly in the grass, but his blonde student was too enraged and unfocused to notice. Cautiously, Kakashi strafed sideways, keeping his rather tall form out of Naruto's sight, before taking refuge behind a large stump. Naruto continued to slam his fist into a defenseless tree, and as he thrashed, Kakashi caught sight of his face. The normally ocean blue eyes were replaced by crimson orbs of fury, and the boy's pupils were slitted, just like the Fox. Even though he saw Naruto's eyes, the boy still took no notice of Kakashi. He continued to pound the tree mercilessly, and Kakashi slowly reached for his vest pocket. Very slowly, he took hold of the tab keeping the pocket for the seals closed, and slowly lifted upwards... and the Velcro fastening it there made a loud _shick!_ Kakashi froze, the pocket gaping open, and he heard the mad tree punching stop. Cautiously, Kakashi peeked around the stump, and he saw Naruto stand up slightly, his back still hunched. The boy looked left, then right, then left again. _He's searching for me,_ Kakashi realized. Still, he was a ways away, and concealed behind solid cover. The chances were slim that Naruto would find him. Kakashi sat back down silently, then began to formulate a strategy. If he could make a clone, and get Naruto between them, then one of them should be able to slap a seal on him. He could use a second clone to do the Double Decapitation technique just to be safe-

_Sniff. Sniff sniff._

Kakashi froze, and he slowly looked upwards. _There's no way,_ Kakashi thought to himself. But as he titled his head up, he found the fanged, crimson-eyed visage of Naruto Uzumaki peering down on him. And it didn't look like he wanted to crack a joke. Naruto's lips were curled up in an mistakable snarl, but his eyes were curious, not angry. In his rage, Naruto had completely forgotten who Kakashi was. The boy just stared at the Copy Ninja, and Kakashi stared back. They sat there silently, sizing each other up. Kakashi could tell that Naruto wouldn't pull any punches in this form, and he wouldn't want to end up like several of the trees around here: broken, mutilated, and destroyed.

It was Kakashi who made the first move. He dug into his pouch and swiftly pulled out a suppression seal, and thrust his arm toward Naruto's forehead. The blonde caught this lightning fast movement, however, and caught Kakashi's hand just inches from his face. His eyes contorted from curiosity to fury, and he growled deeply. And even more surprisingly, he spoke.

**"Bad move, human."** The demonic teenager grounded out. He voice was deeper and grating, like it was being dragged over gravel. Kakashi's eye widened exponentially, clearly caught off guard by the possessed boy's words. Naruto's snarl curled into a smirk. He changed his grip on Kakashi's wrist, then turned and hurled his jounin instructor over his shoulder.

"Ahhh!" Kakashi cried as he flew through the air, and into a rather large oak tree. His impact threw a great many splinters around, as well as a thick cloud of dust. The jounin dug another hand into his pocket and fished out another seal. He stood up on the tree and shook his head, clearing his senses. When the dust cleared, he could see Naruto standing on the stump he had been hiding behind. The boy's smirk hadn't vanished, but it did confirm what began to creep into Kakashi's mind. _He might not be at the fourth tail, but he wasn't focused on controlling the demon when he tried to kill that Akatsuki member,_ Kakashi thought to himself. _The Fox is controlling him now._

Kakashi's thoughts raced back to that faithful night, nearly sixteen years prior. He had watched his village come close to destruction, and he had been one of the few people present when the Fourth Hokage had sealed the Nine-tailed Fox into young Naruto. He didn't want to repeat the experience.

_I'll have to use my Mangekyou Sharingan._ Kakashi realized, and he immediately shunted the idea. But that didn't stop him from lifting his headband to reveal his normal, three tomoed Sharingan eye. The black pupils swirled as his own thoughts did as well.

_I can't kill him! He's Naruto..._

_But at the same time, the Fox is pretty much out. If it comes after me, or the others..._

_Surely Master Jiraiya has stopped him from of these rampages!_

_But that was Jiraiya, the most powerful person in the village. And Naruto had nearly killed him!_

Kakashi sighed heavily, and he looked back down at the teenager. Naruto was no longer standing idle. In his hands, a large, crimson Rasengan sat, cupped with both hands to maintain stability. It was roughly the size of a bowling ball. Kakashi's eyes widened as the possessed jinchuriki turned and brought his cradled weapon back, as if he were about to-

With a mighty, inhuman roar, Naruto hurled the large Rasengan straight toward Kakashi. _He can THROW it?_ Kakashi panicked, and rapidly ran through his options. He only came up with one. The jounin did the only thing he could do, as the red ball of pure energy hurtled toward him at impossible speeds.

"Mangekyou Sharingan!" Kakashi yelled as he opened his left eye to reveal a Sharingan that was shaped similarly to a shuriken. The blood vessels around his eye were strained, and just a small drop of blood bubbled up from under his eye and ran down his cheek. The pain was tolerable for the time being, but it would be nigh impossible for Kakashi to keep it up for longer than a minute. But even so, his borrowed eye immediately began to work its magic.

Roughly thirty feet ahead of Kakashi, the air began to stir. Shadows warped and dove, moving and doing things they shouldn't be able to do. As the jounin concentrated harder, the random disruption began to spiral, spinning slowly. And at the very center, a dark hole appeared. It was pitch black, more of a rift in space and time than anything else. And it stabilized right when the Rasengan would have torn through it. The crimson ball of chakra whizzed straight into the center of Kakashi's gravity well, and disappeared into the darkness instantly. Kakashi smirked under his mask, and prepared to close the portal. What he hadn't expected, however, was for Naruto to follow his own Rasengan. The blonde was moving too fast to change his course, and he dove straight into the abyss.

"NO!" Kakashi cried in alarm as he watched Naruto slip into the portal. But it was too late. _No. No, this can't be happening. This can't be happening!_ Kakashi mentally cried. At the sudden influx of matter, the hole's pull grew stronger, and leaves and sticks began to enter it as well. Kakashi grabbed hold of a nearby branch to anchor himself, then began attempting to close the portal. He strained and grunted with effort, and the portal became slightly smaller. He came very close to destabilizing it, until the rift began to fluctuate violently. And an orange-clad, crimson chakra-covered arm reached out toward him. Kakashi's eyes widened in disbelief, and his concentration slipped. The rift opened even wider, and Naruto emerged, glaring holes into his sensei. The jinchuriki pulled himself out up to his chest, but couldn't heave himself past that. He continued to glare at Kakashi, who shrank away in fear.

_Nothing's ever escaped my Gravity Well! Is the Fox so unstoppable that it can escape from another dimension? _Kakashi thought incredulously. The wind picked up, and began pushing much larger pieces of debris into the portal. Naruto cried out in rage and sank in slightly. It was almost as if the portal was trying to recapture him, Kakashi observed.

Suddenly, Naruto looked up and locked eyes with Kakashi. The jounin jumped in alarm, and nearly cried out in fright when Naruto threw a large, crimson hand of chakra toward him. Because of his precariously close position to the portal, Kakashi needed all of his strength just to anchor himself. Thus, he had no energy left to fight off the large hand that clutched at him now. The hand reached him and wrapped tightly around his torso. Kakashi yelled in pain as the fingers brushed his skin, burning wherever it touched. With that last distraction, Kakashi's grip slipped, and both student and teacher were pulled into the rift.

As soon as they passed through it, the pull ceased. All of the branches and rocks that had been attracted to the rift fell to the ground, and the only evidence of the encounter was a couple of destroyed trees, debris scattered everywhere, a small suppression tag near one of the stumps, and a small rotating hole in what seemed like the universe itself.

* * *

Naruto groaned in pain when he awoke, and opened his eyes slowly. Wherever he was, he was surrounded by a bright white room of some sort. There didn't even seem to be a floor, just white space that he seemed to be laying on. The blonde blinked and rubbed his eyes, but when he looked again, the white purgatory was still there.

"Where am I?" He asked aloud. Two more pain-filled groans answered him, and he turned to his left to see Kakashi rubbing his forehead and cursing quietly. Naruto almost rolled over to begin bombarding Kakashi with questions, until he heard a deep growl echo from behind him. Slowly, he turned around to find a large, roughly horse-sized red fox sitting directly over him. The crimson eyes and slit pupils were all he needed to know exactly what this fox was. He noticed, however, that the Fox only sported one tail, not nine. Still, its feral snarl and bared teeth told him it was more than a match for him. He froze in fear, and quickly glanced around for a way out.

_Am I dead? Is this my final punishment, to be eaten by the Nine-tails?_ He thought frantically. He looked all around, and was about to scream for help when he saw a large, black door. The frame for the door was gray, and seemed to be composed of – to Naruto's disgust and revulsion – dead people. All over the sides of the door, heads and arms and legs protruded from the frame. And the door itself appeared to be made of obsidian or some other black rock, as it was smooth and completely black. No door handle or fastener could be seen, and the overall size of the door was about as large as the Hokage Tower.

_Where am I?_ Naruto wondered curiously, his earlier panic forgotten. Before he could ask the large fox behind him or his now sitting sensei, the door opened with a long, grating sound. Naruto stared at the space behind the black doors, and he could barely make out...eyes? Several sets of purple eyes with slit pupils could be seen on the other side of the door, and Naruto felt just a little creeped out about it.

Before he, or Kakashi, the the Fox could do anything, however, multitudes of long, black arms shot out of the door. Naruto cried out in alarm and scrambled back, but it was too late. Several arms wrapped around his torso, while two more encased an arm and a leg. He struggled, but despite their size, the arms were strong. Beside him, Kakashi was similarly arrested, and his grunts and struggles appeared to show no effect. An ear-splitting roar nearly deafened Naruto, and he leaned his head back to see the Nine-tails grappling with the dark arms. They ran all over its body, encircling its legs and wrapping around its muzzle and single tail. The demon roared in fury, until the arms completely bound its muzzle, cutting off its devastating rage in mid vocalization. Even with its monstrous power, the Nine-tailed Fox had been subdued.

Naruto's eyes widened in fear, and he looked back toward the doorway. Accompanying the creepy purple eyes were wide, smiling mouths, all of which seemed a little too happy for the occasion. When he locked eyes with one of them, the arms began dragging the three trapped souls toward the door. Alarm shot through all three of them, and their struggles increased.

"Hey!" Naruto cried in panic. "Let us go! Come on!" The arms didn't heed his words. Naruto was the first to cross the threshold, with Kakashi and the Fox right behind him. As soon as the demon's monstrous form passed through the doorway, the door closed shut with a loud _SLAM_, and all Naruto could see was darkness.

* * *

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A sultry voice echoed through the hallway. A woman with black hair and a matching dress stood next to a large hole in the wall. Her skin was very pale, and on her chest, between her rather large breasts, was the a red tattoo of a serpent devouring its own tail, encircling a triangle comprised of three smaller triangles.

The basement or hallway in which she stood was dark and dreary, but not empty. Beside her stood a portly, long armed, fat man with a rather dim look in his eye. His large stomach almost touched the ground, and his short legs didn't hinder the odds. His freakishly long arms and dim appearance would remind one of an ape. He pulled on the woman's dress and looked up to her with the eagerness of a young child, saliva dripping from his mouth.

"Can I eat them, Lust? Please?" He begged, and even his voice held a child-like quality to it. The woman seemed to think it over for a moment, then shook her head.

"Sorry, Gluttony. They're not Homunculi, but we should still be wary of them." She nudged the silver-haired body with her foot, but it still did not move.

"Take them to Greed's prison and throw them in with him. We'll think about what to do with them later."

Gluttony pouted with a downcast look, but quickly picked up the boy, man, and small fox with ease. He held the teenager and fox under one arm, and the tall man in the other. And with that, Naruto, Kakashi, and the Nine-tailed Fox were welcomed to Amestris.


	2. Chapter 2

I changed my writing style slightly, so for some veteran bathedinblood readers, it may be a little weird. But anyway, I've hit a writer's block for my other stories, so I thought this one up while I was banging my head against the wall...I don't really remember what happened afterward. Anyway, let's see a little action! **Evolution** by Korn.

* * *

The sound of rumbling shook Naruto from his forced sleep. He groaned groggily, and rolled over sleepily. He stopped abruptly, however, when he came in contact with something fuzzy and warm. The disturbance finally roused him enough to open his eyes. Naruto found himself gazing upward at a concrete ceiling, one with glowing red markings all over it, it seemed to be all lead to a central point. Naruto raised his head heavily to follow the drawing, and the flowing ink came to a stop at a skull attached to the ceiling. The skull's eye sockets glowed a brilliant crimson, and seemed to be powering the seal or whatever it was that sealed the room. His gaze fell, and found that all four walls, as well as the floor, were decorated with the same flowing seal. Frowning, he sat up and looked around his immediate area, and was mildly surprised by what he saw.

On his left, curled up in a cute little ball of red fur, was the Nine-tailed Fox. Well, one-tailed, now, it seemed. The Fox was also roughly the size of a large cat, and looked just as ferocious as one. Its furry chest rose and fell slowly, and quiet snores came from its nose. If Naruto hadn't spent the majority of his life glaring at the Fox, he would have mistaken it for a pet.

On Naruto's right, lying on his back and his head turned to the side, was Kakashi. He appeared to be just fine, if slightly unconscious. The older man snored loudly, a trait that puzzled Naruto. How could a man that could sneak through an entire city without being spotted snore _so_ loudly? The man continued to snooze, and Naruto just sighed and glanced around.

On the floor in the center of the room, Naruto saw another man, apparently the main reason the room was constructed. The man had short, spiky black hair, and a sharp jawline that usually accompanied snide remarks. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be asleep. The man wore a tan vest, collared with some strange animal fur. He was also clothed in black pants of an unknown material, and he wore some rather pointy boots. All in all, the man seemed to like stylish clothes, but they were a bit stale in Naruto's opinion.

Directly above the man was the skull, and Naruto stared at it closely. In it, he could see several slight features that resembled the man passed out on the ground. Naruto wondered if it was the skull of an ancestor or something, but as he scanned the layout of those weird seals, he reasoned that the skull was sealing the man in place.

_I wonder why he's been sealed in here? And I've never seen a seal like that before._ Naruto mused to himself.

He stood up slowly, then stretched, his joints popping back into place. The resounding cracks and pops echoed throughout the room, and one of his roommates stirred. Naruto turned and looked to find Kakashi rolling over onto all fours, then shaking his head. The Copy Ninja sighed, then stood up to his full height, a few inches taller than Naruto. He looked around the room calmly, then turned to Naruto.

"So...I guess you're not crazy anymore, eh?" He chuckled nervously. Naruto cocked an eyebrow, and Kakashi noticed his questioning expression.

"You don't remember? How could you not remember attacking me?" Kakashi asked coolly, his eye probing Naruto's face for answers. The teenager held his hands up in a disarming manner, and stammered a reply.

"I-I-I-I swear I didn't attack you! Honest! At least, I don't remember attacking you!" Naruto stepped back, and nearly tripped over something fuzzy. He looked down in alarm, and Kakashi followed his gaze. They both nearly screamed in high pitched voices when they found the Nine-tailed Fox glaring up at them, snarling and teeth bared. Almost. The fact that the Fox was only the size of a puppy really took away the evil facade. They looked at each other, then back at the fox, then to each other again.

The poor Fox had to cover its ears to block out the raucous laughter of the two shinobi. Both teacher and student were clutching their bellies and howling with laughter. Humiliated, the Fox merely whimpered and curled up in a corner, its ego sufficiently bruised.

* * *

Outside of the building, three figures stood in the yard, the high walls surrounding the compound casting their forms in shadow. Two of them were large and bulky, while the third was the size of a normal human, if a bit muscular. They stood in a triangle, facing off in a three-way fight. The tension in the air was almost palpable, but none of them spoke a word. The moon in the sky, as if impatient, shifted slightly, revealing all three combatants in the bright moonlight.

Two sets of armor stood somewhat side by side, though to say they were identical would be untrue. The taller set was much thinner than its short counterpart, though the breastplate was still wide enough and thick enough to stop a sword, bullet, or hammer. Its helmet bore a single spike on its forehead, and its two eye holes were occupied not by eyes, but rather two red orbs. Its gauntlets and bracers were spiked, as well as its knuckles and knee caps.

The other was a more portly, wider set of armor, but bore a more menacing visage. A cloth outfit with a single strap over one shoulder hid the normal gaps in the armor, and its shoulders and knees were rounded. However, in its hand was a nasty looking cleaver, similar to a butcher's knife. A long mane of white hair flowed down the back, then joined with the vicious looking helmet. The helmet was made of bone, and was for all appearances the skull of some savage animal. The jaw jutted outward more than a human's as if it were an ape's. The long canines and serrated molars only denounced it as a predator, and the gleaming red eyes only intensified the appearance.

The man standing opposite of the two sets of armor was rather odd as well. His skin was very tan, almost brown. His eyes gleamed red, and on his forehead was an 'x' shaped scar. His hair was white on the top of his head, but his sideburns and the hair on the back of his head was black. He wore a long yellow jacket and black pants, with a white undershirt beneath them. His right arm was bared slightly, and an intricate series of markings and words danced across his skin, all in some arcane language. As the man glared at the two suits of armor ahead of him, his right arm twitched oddly.

The two suits of armor weren't being worn, but were rather inhabited by two souls, bound to the armor by special seals. They they breathed and spoke and thought, no bodies took form in those armored shells. One was a fourteen-year old boy, the other an executed death row convict. And their opposite, the man with red eyes, was only known as Scar.

The convict was the first to move. He dashed toward Scar, his butcher's blade raised for a messy mutilation.

"YAAAAAAAAA!" A manic, sleazy voice echoed from the shorter suit of armor as it charged toward Scar, butcher knife raised. Scar merely took up a stance, his right foot and right hand forward. When the dead convict reached him, the Ishbalan reached out with lightning speed and grasped the dead man's arm, keeping the deadly blade from slicing him in two.

"Huh?" His assailant gasped out. Scar grinned, then gripped the arm tighter. As he did, streams of red electricity raced up his arm and surrounded the gauntlet clutched in his fingers. The other suit of armor, Alphonse Elric, gasped in shock as the arm in Scar's grasp exploded. The yard was showered with debris as the other suit of armor fell back, its right arm completely gone. The skull-like helmet glanced down at its missing limb, then back to Scar.

"Hey! What did you do that for! No one hurts Barry the Chopper like that!" He cried out indignantly. Scar didn't reply, but merely stared down at the ex-murder. Barry scrambled back slightly, but then his eyes fell on Scar's still outstretched arm. He cried out in alarm, and stabbed his finger toward the arm.

"Why is that symbol there on your arm?" Scar's eyes widened slightly, then he glowered.

"You've seen this before?" He asked coldly. His question seemed to electrify Barry, as the serial killer giggled in a high-pitched voice.

"You don't know what that is, do you?" Barry asked slyly.

Scar snarled in anger and dashed forward, arm outstretched to destroy Barry's entire body this time. But the Chopper wouldn't have it, and he backhand spring-ed away, up to the building's walls. Scar stopped and rolled up his sleeve, revealing the entire set up to the world.

"If you know what this is, tell it to me now!" Scar demanded hotly. He stepped closer toward the downed Barry, who scrambled up to his feet. The Chopper chuckled nervously, then turned around to the wall. He ran his hand down the face of the exterior, before his hand brushed a small panel.

"Well now, let's see...uh...hehe..." Barry slid the panel aside to reveal a red button. With a chuckle, he turned back to the other two.

"I'm not going to tell you!" He giggled slyly, then pressed the button. The wall exploded outward, shrouding the three figures in a display of fire, rubble, and dirt. Barry's bid for freedom had unseen consequences, however.

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto sat next to the third man in the room, their expressions grim. They had examined every inch of the room, yet there had been no sign of any door or window. It was as if the room had been _built_ around them. Or more specifically, they had been placed in a room built around the rather evil looking man snoozing beside them. They had been thrown in, but they had no clue how to bust out.

"What if I use my Giant Rasengan on one of the walls? That'll bring a wall down for sure!" Naruto offered excitedly, and he pounded his fist into his palm. In his lap, the Fox lay curled up, and watched the deliberations lazily. It may not have like the two humans, but even despised company is better than no company at all.

Kakashi shook his head solemnly. "A wall, along with that entire half of the building. Odds are, this is a multilevel complex. If we took out one of these walls, and a support beam or several along with it, we would be crushed by the falling floors above us." He explained. Naruto's exuberance deflated almost tangibly, and the little fox in his lap yipped in laughter. Naruto growled in annoyance, but continued his thoughts of freedom, as opposed to giving the Fox the noogie of its life. And that's a LONG life.

"Well, what about your Double Decapitation technique? You know, the one where ya go underground and stuff?" Naruto asked. He was once again shot down as Kakashi shook his head.

"Already tried. Apparently, the seals around us prevent any type of passage through the walls, save brute force." Kakashi said as he eyed the skull above them. Something about it bugged him. All of the seals in the room led to it, as if it were the source of the binding energy. But he had never heard of an inanimate object that could sustain a seal outside of paper. The special papers manufactured by shinobi all across the world were designed to channel chakra and other spiritual energies. A human skull was similarly suited, but it didn't have the capacity to keep three humans held down for more than a few seconds. Yet, here they were.

_Something tells me I don't have all the pieces to this puzzle._ Kakashi mused, and his gaze fell back down to the fox in Naruto's lap. Since he couldn't solve one mystery, he would attempt another. The all-powerful Kyuubi no Kitsune was now about as strong as Pakkun, and twice as fuzzy. Whatever had brought them to that strange gate had really taken a toll on the (dare he say it?) poor demon.

"Hey, what about-" Naruto was cut off from offering another escape plan by a large, earth-shaking explosion. The vibrations echoed through the floor they sat upon, and fissures crawled up the walls and across the ceiling. Naruto cried out in alarm, and the Fox yelped as he stood up quickly. Even with his prison shaking around him, however, the man on the floor slept on undisturbed. Kakashi stood as well, but his eye went to the seals around them. As the room shook, the red markings began to lose their glow, as if their structure was being damaged by whatever had exploded outside. The glow flared wildly, then died altogether. Naruto took a step toward Kakashi, only to nearly be brained by the falling skull. The head fell to the ground and rolled off to the side, where it was crushed by a large chunk of concrete that fell from the ceiling. Kakashi and Naruto both looked up toward the gap created by said chunk. The hole it had left in its wake was roughly five feet by seven feet, more than enough room for an adult male to pass through.

"Naruto, let's get out of here!" Kakashi yelled urgently. He ran under the hole in the ceiling and glanced up into the darkness outside. Naruto nodded in agreement and reached down to grab the Fox by the scruff of its neck. The shrunken demon just whimpered at its current situation and allowed itself to be picked up. With a quick flourish, Naruto deposited the Fox into a deep pocket of his orange jacket, then ran to follow Kakashi. When his student reached him, Kakashi crouched low, then jumped up through the hole, and landed on the ground outside quietly. There wasn't really a need for stealth as the building continued to rumble and shake, but hey, a ninja can be quiet at his own discretion. Naruto followed right behind his sensei, and together the two sprinted down the darkened corridor, right when the tremors and rumbling began to subside. As the distance between their escape route and themselves lengthened, Naruto could have sworn he heard maniacally cackling. He ignored it, and the two shinobi dashed ahead, looking for an exit.

* * *

A short, blonde boy sat up against a large pillar. He wore a black, long sleeved jacket that was unzipped, revealing his black undershirt. He wore black pants and black shoes, and a silver chain dangled from his pocket. He wore white gloves, or at least, one glove. His entire right arm was made of a strong alloy, a completely mechanical limb. His long blonde hair that contrasted so strongly with his clothes was tied up in a braid. He was Edward Elric, older brother of Alphonse Elric, and widely known as the FullMetal Alchemist. His golden eyes glanced up at the high vaunted ceiling as the building slowly ceased its shaking. He looked back down at the suit of armor in front if him.

Like Barry the Chopper, a human soul had been tied to this set of samurai-like armor. Actually, there were two souls attached to this armor, one in the head and another in the body. They were the Slicer Brothers, a pair of serial killers that had specialized in the brutal mutilation of their victims. The older brother's soul was tied to the helmet, which sat in the boy's arms. The two eyes within the helmet glared up towards him, and a deep voice echoed from underneath a cloth face-mask.

"You have defeated us, FullMetal Alchemist. As promised, I will tell you about this installation." The elder Slicer said solemnly. Edward frowned down at his former assailant, and stood up slowly. He looked from the helmet clutched in his hands, to the torso of the suit of armor that held the younger Slicer.

"Alright... what is the primary purpose of Laboratory Five?" Ed asked sternly, his hard gaze boring into the helmet grasped in his hands. The elder Slicer was silent for a while, and the silence that hovered in the air was almost tangible.

"The original purpose of this place was to further research into Chimeras, to see if they were able to be trained for the military." The elder Slicer began. Ed nodded; it made sense. The military had been going through the Ishbal Rebellion when Lab 5 had first been constructed. Chimera research was obviously something that those sick fucks in research and development would explore.

"And later? What is going on now?" Ed pressed. Once again, the helmet did not respond immediately. _What could they have gleaned from Chimeras that led them to a new topic? Or were they ordered to begin anew?_ Ed thought to himself. Before he could ask anymore questions, the elder Slicer continued.

"After the rebellion was crushed, a new commander was assigned here, and we were executed. He shot every one of us. His name was Brigadier General Gron." Edward stiffened at this information. The same Boss Gron that he had seen murdered by Scar? Maybe the Ishbalan had been right about Gron's death being deserved...

"When we were sealed to this armored shell, Gron had assigned the entire staff to constructing something called the Philosopher's Stone." The elder Slicer said with a sense of finality. Just as he suspected, Ed gasped in surprise, then began to bombard him with questions.

"The Stone? How close did they get to completing it? What were their methods? What transmutation circles did they use?" Ed belted out the questions rapid-fire question quickly, giving the poor trapped soul no time to answer. When he stopped for a breath, the Slicer finally spoke.

"I was not privy to that kind of information. I was simply told to guard the area each night, when the scientists went home. We weren't told anything about the research being conducted." A dry tone crept into his voice. "Do you honestly believe that they would clue in a couple of dead murderers on extremely sensitive information?"

Ed frowned slightly, and his face fell.

"However..." The Slicer said slyly, "we were able to catch glimpses and whispers about shipments. Every Wednesday, at approximately six pm., a delivery of red stones would come from a certain Doctor Marcoh." Tonight was full of surprises for the young Elric. He grinned triumphantly, then turned to the silent younger Slicer.

"Well, I'm sure there's plenty of red stones around here. If I can use them to make a Philosopher's Stone, I'll be able to get you guys your bodies back." Ed said proudly. A pair of gasps echoed from the two sets of armor, and Ed could almost feel the hope in their tones. But almost as soon as he was ready to get to work on the Stone, a sad chuckle escape the helmet in his hands. Ed looked down in confusion at the soul in his hands. The scarred helmet stared back at him, and he could tell that it had given up hope.

"Even if you got our bodies back, do you really believe that the military would let us walk out of here alive?" The elder Slicer said quietly. "That is more cruel than any torture." Silence reigned in the large chamber as the implications hit Ed full on. _What would happen? Surely Mustang would be able to pardon them. But would I be able to convince him?_ Ed wondered silently, and he sighed sadly.

"Brother. I'm going on ahead." The younger Slicer said to his elder sibling. Ed didn't look up, the turmoil of this dilemma doing somersaults in his head.

"Alright. I'll join you soon. Goodbye, brother." At this sad farewell, Ed did look up, only to see the younger Slicer's thumb firmly pressed against his blood seal. Ed's eyes grew wide, and he ran forward to stop the suicidal act. But he was too far away, too late to stop it. A ceramic shatter filled the air, and Ed cried out is frustration. The blood seal fell away with the upper part of the neck-guard, and the armored arm fell limp as the spirit possessing it left this world.

"No!" He looked down to the helmet in his hands, tears streaming down his face. The cold feeling of loss settled into his stomach, even if he had only known the man for a few minutes. He glared down at the elder Slicer, then his eyes softened as he gazed at the now empty torso of armor.

"Why?" He pleaded to the open air. "Why did he do it?" Ed looked down at the Slicer, and he could hear slight sadness in the former serial killer's voice.

"You made him feel human again, then reminded him that he would never return to such an existence. So, he did that to save some remnant of his dignity." The Slicer looked over toward the large door he had been guarding mere minutes before.

"I will lead you to the main research lab, on the condition that you do me the same merciful favor after I have served my purpose." He said resolutely. After watching the other Slicer commit suicide, Ed had no doubt that this soul would be obstinate. When his task was finished, the elder Slicer just wanted to _die_. And that shocked Ed. Was his existence so miserable?

Not trusting his voice, Ed merely nodded gravely. With the matter settled, he turned to the large set of double doors that the Slicer Brothers had fought to keep secure. With a might pull, he yanked them open wide enough to allow his passage, then walked into the darkness, leaving a lifeless suit of armor in his wake.

* * *

Naruto and Kakashi dashed down the darkened corridors, passing both cells and normal doors at random. The two shinobi would stop and open an oak door or two, but the results were always the same: libraries or laboratories. As they opened their fifth door, only to find another dusty room full of book, Naruto let out a frustrated growl.

"We're not gonna get outta here if we just run around every corner in the building!" He complained noisily. The Fox, tucked safely in his front breast pocket, yipped in agreement. Kakashi sweatdropped at the tag team, and turned to examine the library they had found.

"Maybe this room has a map of some sort. We should check it out." Kakashi suggested. Naruto merely nodded in agreement, and the two entered the dark room.

Kakashi ran his hand along the wall, until he found a light switch. He flicked it on, and the size of the library became fully apparent. As opposed to a library in Konoha, the one that both shinobi found themselves in was rather large, and the bookcases were much larger. There were roughly twelve tall shelves, each and every one stuffed with books. This piqued Kakashi's curiosity. They were books, not scrolls. Normally, any reference texts he found were scrolls, since they were easier to store. Yet, it seemed that every tome in here was a book. He walked up to the nearest shelf and selected a book at random, and removed a thick, dark green book from the shelve at eye level. He opened it up at the front, only to find the citations. Perplexed, he turned to the other side of the book. There, he found the table of contents, all arranged left to right, instead of right to left. But what was really shocking was that he could read it. Sure, the words were backwards, but a well trained ninja could easily mirror words. As he pondered the new development, he scanned the table of contents. All of the chapters were largely about something called the Philosopher's Stone. Kakashi surmised that whatever this stone was, it must have been extremely important.

The pounding of boots on the concrete floor outside tore his attention away from the book. Naruto, who had been looking through a magazine of food (go figure), looked up as well. Standing in the open door, with guns in their hands – _Guns? These guys must not know that we're shinobi,_ Kakashi thought – were several men in blue uniforms. A the soldiers cocked their assorted firearms, and Kakashi closed the book and set it back on the shelf calmly. Naruto turned toward them as well, and their attention shifted to him. When they saw his whisker marks, several gasps ran through the men. Some in the back pointed their flashlights at his face for a closer look, and the teen shielded his eyes from the glare. Finally, a blonde, medium-sized woman strode into the room briskly, a nickel-plated handgun in her right hand. As Kakashi examined her rather petite form, his eye caught her nametag, which read, 'Hawkeye'. When he saw her catch him staring, he chuckled nervously, then put his hands up in surrender.

"I don't suppose you guys could show us the way out, could you?"

* * *

Haha, Kakashi and Naruto captured! Well, more apprehended more than anything. I'll explain in the next chapter about why guns suck against ninjas, so don't worry about that. I hope you guys enjoyed. Now I've got to get back to editing, SLBH, A serious problem, and other things. Oh yeah, and life. Definitely gotta get back to the real world.


	3. Chapter 3

Ok. I'm stuck on this story right now. I really don't want to finish the chapter I'm on for SLBH, and my other story is kind of...stale. I like it, but the plot I came up with feels like just another one on the site. I don't think I'll scrap it, but I won't put a lot of focus on it. So, I've decided to continue this little story. And with the way it plays out in my head, it will take a _long_ time. Might as well get started. **Walkin' On the Sun** by _Smash Mouth_.

* * *

The bright morning sunlight streamed into the front window of the office, bathing everything inside with bright light. The single occupant, however, had his back to said window. His blue uniform was cast in shadow, but the three stars across his shoulder shined brightly in view. His ebony black hair was cut to fit regulations, but only just. Still, three defiant bangs cut diagonally across his forehead. His eyes were closed in restful sleep, the papers on his oak desk forgotten. He was Colonel Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, and he was currently enjoying his favorite pastime: sleeping on the job.

Without warning, however, his office door was abruptly snatched open, and four people walked in. Two of them wore blue uniforms similar to the Colonel's, and the other two wore strange, outlandish clothing. Still, the intrusion failed to bring the Colonel out of his slumber. The blonde woman on the right, Lieutenant Hawkeye, sighed heavily. Even so, she briskly saluted, as did the other man in uniform. The other soldier was shorter than Hawkeye, and he wore horn-rimmed glasses. His black hair was spiky, and his salute was somewhat hidden by it. He was Sergeant Fury, a docile little man that was the polar opposite of his name.

"Sir!" Hawkeye said loudly, "Lt. Hawkeye and Sgt. Fury reporting in." The only response was a loud snore. All four guests sweatdropped in exasperation, and the Colonel continued to sleep his troubles away. Fury and Hawkeye approached his desk, and the Lieutenant leaned forward and shook his shoulder. The man slumbered on, blissfully ignorant to his guests.

"Wow," Fury marveled. "he's really out of it." Hawkeye frowned, and moved for her sidearm. Fury flinched away in fear, but still stopped her with his hand.

"Remember what the Fuhrer said; no more bullet holes for the rest of the week!" he pleaded, eyes wide. Hawkeye stopped and considered it, then reluctantly holstered her pistol. Kakashi walked up, his ever-present book...absent.

"I take it this isn't the first time he's 'clocked out', so to speak," Kakashi commented dryly, as he watched the Colonel swat at some imaginary fly. Behind him, Naruto snickered, and the Fox hidden in his jacket was also finding the situation humorous. It had to remain quiet, however, lest it be discovered.

Fury glanced down and concentrated. The staff of Colonel Mustang often considered waking the Colonel a contest; the weirder the methods and the quicker the results, the better. He let his eyes run across the office and its occupants, searching for inspiration.

_Weird blonde chimera? No. Silver-haired commando? Nah. Lieutenant Hawkeye... oh my god, it will work!_ Fury snapped his fingers at his success, which caught Hawkeye's attention.

"What is it? You know how to wake him up?" She asked expectantly. Upon reflection of his plan, Fury realized with horror the only flaw. Should Riza Hawkeye discover his method, Fury would be found dead in an alley. Quickly, he pushed Hawkeye back, and stood her in front of the door. Her eyes were wide with confusion, as were those of the shinobi.

"Just sit right there, alright? He might get... uh... excited or something." He explained awkwardly. Not sure where he was going, Hawkeye still did as she was told. Fury immediately dashed behind the desk, and began whispering into the Colonel's ear. Hawkeye and Naruto watched closely, straining to hear what Fury was saying. Kakashi just leaned up against the wall, his book in hand. Mustang frowned in his sleep, and groaned groggily. But even so, he did not wake. Fury drew back slightly, steeled himself, then leaned in and said four words.

Like magic, the Colonel shot upright, his frantic movements startling Fury. The Colonel looked around quickly, his dark eyes wide with a hungry glare. He glanced over his guests, then settled his eyes on Hawkeye, who returned his stare with a look of confusion. Angry, he turned back to Fury, who was hiding behind the chair.

"Fury, you liar. She isn't naked." Mustang said grumpily, then glared at the two shinobi. "And who are these two?"

Sgt. Fury sighed in defeat, then hesitantly looked up at Lt. Hawkeye. Her eyes were in shadow, though the clenching of her fists signified a disturbance in the Force. Meekly, Fury tried to sneak around the back of Mustang's chair, only for a feminine hand to latch onto his collar in an iron grip. Tears of hopelessness streamed down his face, before he was pulled right into a headlock Major Armstrong would have been proud of.

Ignoring the unfortunate sergeant and his pseudo-murderer, Kakashi closed his book with a _snap_ and saluted as he saw the others do previously.

"Jounin Kakashi Hatake, of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. This is my genin teammate, Naruto Uzumaki." He said in a clipped, professional tone. Naruto started, then mimicked, quite terribly, the same salute, slapping himself on the forehead in the process. A comic as it was, Mustang still stoically returned the salute. They both let the salutes fall at the same time. As Hawkeye attempted to strangle the sergeant, Mustang regarded the two shinobi with a raised eyebrow.

"So, what's your story? Why did we find you during a raid on a restricted laboratory?" He began. Kakashi sighed, rolled his shoulders, and began the long tale.

"Well, you see, Naruto is a special case. You see, back when he was born..."

* * *

One massively long narrative and forty-five minutes later, the five people (and one secret fox) were seated at the Colonel's desk. Needless to say, the three soldiers in blue were skeptical about the story. An alternate universe, where ninjas are not only real, but a big part of daily society? And they could manipulate elements, shadows, jump really high, run really fast? Had someone come in and told Mustang all this _before_ his nap was interrupted, the Colonel would have lit their pants on fire. As it was, he was inclined to believe them, just because there was no counter argument. When he had asked if they were chimeras, the blank expressions he got in return were all he needed to close that avenue of possibility.

"Alright, so when you guys were at the gate, you say that the giant fox or whatever it was gave up a lot of power? Is it still with you?" Mustang asked wearily, rubbing his forehead in a futile attempt to ease the building migraine. Naruto sat up stiffly when he asked, and the rest of the people in the room turned to him expectantly. Alarmed, he sent a pleading look to Kakashi. The silver-haired jounin merely nodded, a sign to let the fox out of the bag, so to speak. Naruto looked as if he would protest, but then let out a sigh of defeat. Slowly, he reached up to his collar and unzipped his jacket, revealing his black t-shirt and crimson passenger.

The three soldiers gazed upon the miniature demon in wonder, and he stared right back. Normally, the gaze of the Kyuubi no Kitsune would send chills down even the most hardened veteran's spine. Normally, though, the Fox was roughly fifty stories tall. Obviously, Mustang thought, this was not a normal case. The small fox that now sat in Naruto's lap glared up at the three. Unfortunately, its small stature turned the evil glare into a cute little rebellion of fuzz. And so, the Fox became a victim of female rule number forty-six: cuddly, cute, furry things were to be hugged and smothered, no exceptions.

Faster than even Kakashi could see, the Kyuubi was snatched from Naruto's lap in a blur of blue. Mustang, Fury, and the two shinobi turned to find the poor kitsune pressed to the chest of one Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, who was having a particularly uncommon girl moment. The fox even whimpered at its luck as Hawkeye hugged it and spun around and around and around, and high-pitched mutterings of 'cute' and 'cuddly' could be heard from the usually stoic Lieutenant. Fury, Naruto, and Kakashi all sighed, feeling sympathetic for the poor Fox. Mustang, however, was jealous of the little ball of fuzz. As the feared fox demon was being smothered between the 'assets' of Lt. Hawkeye, Kakashi thought it proper for a change of topic.

"When we were, uh," Kakashi coughed awkwardly, "apprehended, there were several soldiers who asked us if we were Alchemists. Care to explain?" He asked politely.

Mustang nodded, but his eyes still watched the now crying Fox, silently daring it to try anything. Well, that, or using it as an excuse to stare at Hawkeye's bust.

"To draw comparisons, Alchemists here are how ninjas are...wherever you come from. They mostly work for the state, although we do have several freelance and unlisted Alchemists around the country." The Colonel explained lazily. He watched with slight disappointment as Naruto finally wrestled the Fox away from Hawkeye, who resumed her more stoic appearance except for a slight pout. He steepled his fingers and turned to face Kakashi, spinning in his swivel chair as he did so. "I myself am an Alchemist."

"I see." Kakashi said, but his curiosity wasn't sated. "So, what exactly do Alchemists do that makes them so widespread and helpful?"

Mustang's eyes narrowed slightly, and he unsteepled his hands to reach into his desk. He retrieved a pair of white gloves, and on the back of each glove was a design similar to the ones Kakashi had seen in the room they had been imprisoned in. He then stood and motioned toward the door.

"Perhaps we should take this outside." He suggested. With that, he led the way out the door, and the other four soon followed. As they walked out into the hallway, the newly bandaged Sergeant Fury sidled up behind Naruto and whispered into his ear.

"You guys just had to ask. The Colonel's always looking for a reason to show off." He said painfully. Naruto glanced back at the sergeant, an eyebrow raised.

"What's so special about him?" The blonde asked.

"Well," Fury said hesitantly. "I'll just let you see for yourself."

* * *

Several flights of stairs and a large door later, the shinobi found themselves in a large courtyard and practice field. Several soldiers in blue uniforms were sparring, shooting at targets, or generally hanging out. There were several sand pits, some occupied, for hand-to-hand combat, as well as three or four long ranges with targets at the ends. And just past those was a massive area cordoned off by white paint, roughly fifty square meters in size. Inside, rocks of various makeup and size were scattered around a sandy pit, with several thick trees obscuring the center of the area. Large and man-shaped white targets were everywhere: on the ground, behind the rocks, in the trees, _under_ the trees, and there was even one poking out from behind a rock. Apparently, this little forest on the grounds was where the Alchemists practiced their skills.

Mustang came to a stop next to the sand, and his followers did the same. He turned around easily and swept a hand across the view, a cocky smirk on his face.

"This, my friends, is the stomping ground of the State Alchemists. Whenever they find spare time, the combat Alchemists come out here to stay sharp." He pointed to Kakashi, then beckoned with a hand. Kakashi shrugged, then walked up to join the Colonel, curious. Mustang pointed at a target nestled behind a rock, representing a man tucked into good cover.

"Under your training, how would a ninja neutralize a target there?" He asked. His choice of words gave pause to Kakashi's answer, but the jounin still complied.

"Well, the situation would normally determine the action, but in a kill zone, the man would be killed by thrown weapons, or an offensive technique we call a 'jutsu'." Kakashi offered, his voice steady as he resisted the urge to drop into instructor mode. Mustang smirked, then put a glove onto his right hand.

"Observe." He said simply. Hawkeye and Fury rolled their eyes at his theatrics, but the two shinobi watched curiously as Mustang raised his gloved hand slowly. He snapped his fingers, a bit louder than usual, Kakashi noted, and the two ninjas saw a flash of red zip away from the Colonel's fingers. The spark disappeared momentarily, until the target he had chosen erupted in flame, then exploded. A loud _boom_ filled the air, and the practicing soldiers turned to see what had caused the explosion. As the dust cleared, nothing remained of the target except for a quarter-sized piece of white ceramic. Naruto gasped in amazement, and Kakashi whistled in surprise. The Colonel turned to them both and gave an exaggerated bow, the confident smirk still on his face. Kakashi nodded in respect to the man's talent, then waited for an explanation. As he expected, the Colonel straightened, and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"My gloves are made from a special material called ignition cloth. When friction is acted upon it, this cloth causes a spark. Then, using Alchemy, I manipulate the oxygen in the air to result in a fire." He said proudly. "This has earned me the title of 'The Flame Alchemist'!" He said extravagantly, and struck a pose. His audience sweatdropped massively, but recovered before he could notice.

"Alright." Kakashi said firmly, "I'll show you what I can do." He looked around the training ground momentarily, until he spotted a target in a tree, half hidden from view by the trunk. He pointed it out, and the others nodded in confirmation. Taking a stance, with his feet shoulder width apart, Kakashi began to fly through handsigns. His hands blurred through the motions, and several onlookers of the growing crowd gasped in awe. He stopped with his hand to his mask, and called out the name of the technique.

"Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!" He cried, then exhaled all of the air in his lungs. The result was a massive fireball that flew from his lips, and burned through the air toward his target. Colonel Mustang's jaw hit the ground, as did Sgt. Fury's and the other spectating soldiers, except Hawkeye. The blonde woman just stared in wonder as the fireball collided with the targeted tree, and reduced it, along with the target, to mere cinders within seconds.

After the remains of the tree hit the ground, a cheer sounded from the assembled soldiers, reminding the original group of the sheer size of their audience. Roughly sixty or seventy men had stopped training to come watch the spectacle, and the general message was clear: the new guy was definitely better than Col. Mustang. The trumped officer picked his jaw off the ground and fumed in anger.

"Ok, mister ninja. If you're so good, then I propose we have a little spar. My fire against your techniques. If I win, you have to teach me that move. If you win..." the Colonel trailed off, thinking. Finally, he snapped his fingers (on his left hand) and pointed to himself. "I'll do all the paperwork of my department for the rest of the week." He said smugly.

Fury and Hawkeye both stared at him incredulously. The Colonel, volunteering to do paperwork? He had to be sure he could win. Kakashi sighed heavily, not sure if he could even teach the Colonel the Fireball jutsu. _He IS a colonel, so I don't think turning him down would be a wise decision..._ Kakashi shrugged to himself. _Guess he'll have to learn._

"Alright, I accept." Kakashi said boredly, as if he were accepting another match from his self-appointed eternal rival, Gai. Mustang smirked victoriously, then pointed over to one of the now empty sparring plots.

"We'll fight there, got it?"

Kakashi merely nodded, and the Colonel began to walk in the direction of the sparring square. He chuckled to himself, and inwardly was already celebrating.

_He needs to go through those signs whenever he does a technique. I just have to snap my fingers. And if I steal all the air from his fireball, or return it back on him, I'm golden!_ Mustang grinned haughtily, and looked up at the square. Only to find Kakashi already in it, reading his book. Fifty meters away. Without even passing the colonel. _Odd._ Mustang thought to himself. He disregarded it however. Perhaps Kakashi was just a quick runner, and had passed him while he was plotting his congratulatory speech.

Mustang stepped into the circle smugly, and put on his other glove. Kakashi merely stowed his book in his back pouch. The jounin eyed Mustang hesitantly.

"Are you sure you don't want me to handicap myself?" He asked politely. Mustang's smirk turned to a frown.

"Fine, if you want to show off. No fireballs." Mustang said firmly. That seemed to make it a landslide in his favor, apparently it suited Kakashi just fine.

Fury stepped between the two as they got into their stances, Mustang with his right hand raised, and Kakashi with his right hand forward. Fury extended a hand himself.

"Fighters ready?" He asked loudly. He received two determined nods. He nodded to himself, stepped back, and dashed out of the square.

"ReadysetFIGHT!" he cried as he sped to safety, behind Naruto.

The two men jumped away from each other, leaving about five meters between them. Mustang smirked, and snapped his fingers, seeking to end the fight quickly. A blossom of fire exploded in front of Kakashi shielding him from the onlookers for a moment as the dust shot up. Seconds later, he jumped through the cloud of dust, fist cocked back and ready for a punch. Mustang noticed the pose and sidestepped, allowing the jounin to continue past with his momentum. Surprisingly, Kakashi followed through with his punch, and seemed to dive to the ground. He stopped low, and Mustang felt a hand grasp his ankle.

Alarmed, he glanced down to see Kakashi looking up at him, ankle in hand.

"Shinobi battle skill number one: taijutsu." Mustang blinked at the explanation, but Kakashi surprised him again. Instead of bringing Mustang to the ground for a grapple, as the Colonel expected, Kakashi stood up, and brought the captured foot with him. With a strong tug, he pulled the Colonel off his feet and threw him into the air. The Colonel yelled in surprise as he tumbled through the air, several meters up. The crowd gasped in awe as Kakashi jumped into the air, even with the Colonel.

Not one to lose so effortlessly, Mustang brought his fingers together for an explosion, but he felt two hands grab his. He turned back in alarm to see Kakashi behind him. The jounin grabbed Mustang's hands and pinned them to the colonel's back, then angled their descent to where they would fall to the ground head first.

"What are you doing?" Mustang yelled shrilly. Kakashi didn't reply, but merely twisted his body, adding a spin to the drop. Alarmed, the crowd below scattered, searching for cover. Mustang yelled in fright as the (spinning) ground came rocketing up to meet him, until the air was forced out of his lungs by a sudden halt. He blinked in surprise, and looked behind him to see Kakashi, standing upright and _holding him up with one hand_. The Colonel gasped in shock, only to be unceremoniously dumped onto the ground.

_Is this guy even human?_ Mustang wondered incredulously to himself. He quickly stood up and dusted himself off, then turned around to look at Kakashi. Only to find that the ninja was nowhere to be found. The Colonel spun around, but the ones there were himself and the audience. In the corner of his mind, he noticed all of the background noise fade away. He narrowed his eyes, and spun around again, as if to catch Kakashi sneaking up behind him. No one.

"Shinobi battle skill number two: genjutsu." Kakashi's disembodied voice echoed around him. Mustang turned around several times, but still couldn't find the scarecrow. Frustrated, he growled in anger.

"Come out and face me like a- eh?" Mustang glanced over at his adjutant, Lt. Hawkeye. Something about her seemed...off. He took a step closer, and the oddity became clear. Riza Hawkeye had brown hair. Brown hair. The Colonel could barely grasp the concept. Brunette Riza. He nearly puked.

"Lieutenant, what did you do to your hair?" He cried piteously. Even though he seemed to be in dire straights, Hawkeye ignored him completely, and just stared ahead. It piqued his interest. Curious, Mustang examined the rest of the crowd. Every single one of them, even Havoc and Breda, who must have recently come up, were just staring at him. Silently. And every single one of them had that matching, mud-colored hair. Mustang began to feel a little creeped out, one could say.

"Alright, Kakashi, you can stop now." He said hesitantly. And before he could get the words out of his mouth, the brown hair and empty eyes disappeared. Mustang found his audience staring at him peculiarly.

"Uh, sir? Are you ok?" A soldier called out.

"Yeah," another yelled, "you started muttering something about hair or something!"

Mustang raised an eyebrow, and turned to walk out of the sand pit. Only to bump into Kakashi. He staggered backwards and fell onto his butt, then glared up angrily at Kakashi.

"So it was all just an illusion?" He demanded angrily. Kakashi nodded silently, and the Colonel growled in annoyance.

"Now see here, shinobi! I can understand showing me your skills, but embarrassing me in front of-" he was cut off, however, by the grave tone in Kakashi's voice.

"Shinobi battle skill number three: ninjutsu." Kakashi said gravely. Mustang glanced at the shinobi's hands as Kakashi set his fingers in a cross, just one sign. It couldn't be that bad, Mustang assumed.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Kakashi cried out loud. A huge cloud of smoke enveloped the area, and the crowd began to cough and hack. Mustang stood up quickly and looked around, unsure of what was about to happen. A gust of wind blew through the area, and the smoke dissipated. And Mustang nearly shit himself.

Standing all around the Colonel, each and every one ready to fight, were roughly sixty copies of Kakashi. The crowd gasped in amazement, followed by the usual 'ooh's and 'ah's of being shown something new. All of the Kakashi clones crossed their arms, and the real one stepped out in front of the Colonel.

"Colonel, I believe my friends and I have you beat. Surrender?" He asked lazily. Mustang glanced down at the ground in humiliation, but he had to admit defeat here. The man had whipped up on him without even trying, and yet decided to spare him.

"Yeah, I forfeit." Mustang said resignedly.

At his words, a cheer rose up from Havoc, Fury, and Breda, who were all in Mustang's department. The other soldiers just stared with a mixture of horror and fascination. One guy had completely demolished one of their strongest Alchemists, and had used techniques they had never even heard of before. Who was this guy.

All of the clones disappeared in puffs of smoke, and Kakashi stuck his hand out. Mustang took it without hesitation, and shook hard. Kakashi smiled under his mask, and after a little hesitation, Mustang grinned as well.

"So, what's it gonna take for you to join us?"

* * *

There it is, the showdown between Kakashi and Colonel Mustang. Well, I tried to make it seem how it would should the two actually spar. I pictured it as Kakashi teaching the guy as much as he showed him up. I can only hope that this met your expectations. Review please.


	4. Chapter 4

Wow. It seems quite a few people like this story. Thanks for the ego boost, guys. Seriously. Okay, the character have been introduced into the setting, and as you could probably guess from how the previous chapter ended, alliances have been made. If you are completely blindsided by this information, I'm afraid I have some bad news...

* * *

Kakashi looked around the hotel room curiously. After his somewhat embarrassing triumph over Colonel Mustang three days ago, the Flame Alchemist had decided to put them up in a nice, four star hotel. When Kakashi brought up the fact that they didn't have any money, the Colonel had lazily handed him an extremely fat leather wallet and walked off with a wave. And as he examined the current lodgings, the full extent of Mustang's generosity was made clear.

The carpet was colored a maroon red, and extremely plush and soft. All of the furniture was dark brown leather, and two full-sized couches sat in front of a quaint fireplace, which was built out of a glossy, black mineral that Kakashi couldn't identify. The kitchen area came with a stainless steel refrigerator, fully stocked with meats, fruits, vegetables, and such. The counter-tops were made of a green marble, while the kitchen floor was hardwood oak. Three lights hung from the ceiling, framed by discs of glass with dark circles surrounding the bulbs.

Down the hallway were three bedrooms and a bathroom. The bedrooms were complete with king-sized mattresses and oak furniture such as dressers, wardrobes, and bedside tables. The wallpaper was uniform in color, a cream white that contrasted nicely with the dark red carpet. The bathroom was tiled, and white marble covered nearly every surface. The tan curtains were drawn, hiding the rather large shower from his view. And standing next to him, gaping at the luxurious lodgings that had been given to him, was Naruto.

"Whoa! This is really cool, Kakashi-sensei!" He said enthusiastically, and went about exploring suite. Kakashi chuckled softly and sat down on one of the leather couches, and nearly sank into oblivion. The jounin sank down to where his head was level with the armrests and paused.

"Hmm."

Kakashi floundered a bit, then sat up. Now free, he sat back properly, and sank into a comfortable slouch. Relaxed, he let out a sigh of relief. Beside him, curled up in an equally relaxed manner, was the Kyuubi. Because of its lighter body, the fox only sank an inch or so into the couch, creating a perfect little nook for it to sleep in. Sleeping, however, wasn't on its mind. The small kitsune merely laid there, casting a lazy glance at Kakashi. Kakashi looked over at the Kyuubi, and met its gaze with an equally slothful look. As the two had a noncommittal staring contest, a thought occurred to him. As he had come in, he had noticed a sign that said 'no pets allowed'.

"You don't shed, do you?" He asked the little ball of fuzz. The Kyuubi gave him a deadpan look, which didn't really tell him anything. Kakashi stared at it expectantly, and it finally huffed and shook its head. Relieved, Kakashi readjusted his seating and laid back, ready for a nice nap.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei?"

Or not.

"Yes, Naruto?" Kakashi asked groggily, a little annoyed at missing his nap. Sure, he was an elite ninja capable of killing hundreds, if not thousands of people, but even he needed some down time!

Kakashi looked up to see Naruto standing in the doorway, his normally exuberant face solemn. He walked over to the other side of the couch and sat down next to the Kyuubi, who didn't react in the slightest.

"Are we ever going to get back home?" Naruto asked quietly. Kakashi said nothing. He knew the question would come up eventually, and had come up with a temporary, if abstract, reply.

"Well," he began, sitting up slightly. "We got here easily enough, even if it was accidental. He glanced over at Naruto. "What's stopping us from getting back?" He asked cryptically. He was being indirect for a reason; Kakashi wanted to see just how much thought his student had put in to their predicament.

"Well..." Naruto glanced down idly at the miniature Fox sitting next to him, and reached down to scratch it behind the ears. The fox started at the contact, but then stretched and allowed the blonde to continue. "Remember when that weird gate got us?" Kakashi nodded, but said nothing. "It ended up taking a huge amount of the Fox's chakra, I'll bet. I mean, why else would he be this small?" Naruto reasoned.

Kakashi nodded, impressed that Naruto was putting it all together so well. But he still remained silent, waiting for his pupil to come to the conclusion.

"If it took the nearly all of the Kyuubi's chakra to bring us here, how much chakra would we need to go back?" Naruto finished interrogatively, his blue eyes locked on Kakashi's one brown one. The Kyuubi, though thoroughly enjoying its petting, also glanced up at him expectantly, its crimson eyes almost glowing.

"That," Kakashi said conclusively, "is the problem that we face." He smiled at his apprentice through his mask. "You came to that pretty quick Naruto. I'm impressed."

His compliment brightened Naruto's sullen demeanor, and the teen grinned back. Their problem was a simple one: they didn't have enough energy to make the return trip. And if there was one thing that shinobi did, it was create energy. Naruto had heard of scrolls and other items that could retain chakra during his travels with Jiraiya. Surely Kakashi, being a sealing authority as well, could recreate such a object?

When he voiced his idea, Kakashi glanced upward thoughtfully.

"I _did_ study such a topic, back when I was a chuunin under the...uh, well, under my sensei." Kakashi stumbled verbally, but Naruto didn't seem to notice. Unfortunately, the Fox sitting in between them pricked up its ears, and Kakashi just knew the little kitsune was intrigued by the little dodge. _Great,_ Kakashi thought, _that little fur ball will eventually put two and two together._ He would worry about it later, though. Thinking back to the topic at hand, he scratched his chin through the cloth of his mask.

"I suppose I could put a few things together," he conceded, "Although, I'm not Master Jiraiya, so it won't be as efficient as one he could make. So we'd have to make quite a few." His mind ran through the list of the ingredients required to make such a complex item. He was reasonably sure that they would be able to obtain most of the supplies at a store, but there were several requirements that he knew would be difficult to find.

Naruto nodded and grinned, then leaned back into the couch. He momentarily stopped petting the Kyuubi and scooped it up into his lap, where he resumed. The Fox didn't mind in the slightest.

"So are you going to accept that offer Colonel Mustang gave us?" Naruto asked nonchalantly.

_Ah, now there's another thought._ Kakashi mused. He didn't respond, but rather went over the last encounter with Colonel. The man had been jovial, haughty, and a little conceited, but Kakashi could tell that he was a good man, one that could be trusted. And the idea the man had put forth was enticing, at least in theory.

_"What I've got in mind for you two is a sort of special operations team. I wouldn't dream of putting you two on the front lines unless I absolutely had to. You see, with your skills, your perfect for investigating and hunting down some of our worst enemies: the Homunculi._

_"Now, I won't lie to you; they aren't human. They may look human, but they are monsters. Homunculi are created when an Alchemist attempts to perform a human transmutation, a forbidden practice. The act usually takes the life or limbs of the Alchemist, and what is created is a grotesque version of the person they were trying to transmute. So far, we've encounter four of them, and they have kicked. Our. Asses. But you and your pupil should be able to bring them down._

_"So here's my final proposition: let me form an elite team around you two, composed of our best shots and our hardcore Alchemists. You will receive code names, aliases, the whole package; and __you will be deployed only to go after Homunculi or something just as dangerous."_

Kakashi had to admit, the plan was sound. It would be like ANBU all over again, something Kakashi missed and had enjoyed for the most part. The only flaw he saw were the men that were going to be assigned under his command. If he was going to command non-shinobi troops, he'd have to become familiar with all of their phrases, default orders, chains of command, not to mention get to know the men themselves. It looked to be an immensely complicated undertaking, but one that would bring these so-called 'Homunculi' down. It also seemed to be the easiest way to find out more about the... country they had been dropped into.

"I think we should at least follow through with it. If we get treated like this while on his team, I wouldn't mind living like this until we found our way back home," Kakashi said lazily. Naruto nodded in understanding, then looked down at the Kyuubi in his lap.

"What do you think about this whole plan?" He asked rhetorically. He wasn't expecting a reply, since it was a fox for Kami's sake, but he got one anyway.

**"You humans and your conflicts. They are always so entertaining. Yes, the plan does seem sound. Go for it."** The Fox said in a deep voice, one reminiscent of Pakkun. Naruto froze, and all the blood drained from his face. Kakashi noted his sudden reaction, and turned to look at his student.

"Is something wrong?" he asked curiously. Naruto pointed to the Kyuubi in his lap and turned to his sensei.

"Did you just hear that?" He asked worriedly. Kakashi looked down at the now innocent-looking Kyuubi, then shook his head. Naruto immediately began crying anime tears, but kept petting the Kyuubi nonetheless.

"Great, now people will think I'm crazy. Just like Kiba..."

The fox just snorted and went to sleep.

* * *

"So, you'll work with us until you get the resources to get back to...wherever you came from?" Mustang asked firmly. Kakashi looked around at the other soldiers (Breda, Fury, Havoc and Fallman), then nodded. Mustang leaned back and sighed, but said nothing. An uncomfortable silence hung over the room, and the soldiers gathered stared at their commander as he made his decision. Mustang finally 'hmphed', then looked up.

"With the ingredients you ask for, it could take some time to round them up." He said curtly. He looked behind Kakashi at Naruto, and more importantly, the Fox poking out of the blonde's jacket. (He seemed to have taken refuge on Naruto an awful lot.) "And if what you say about the energy requirement is true, then you'll be exhausting yourselves for weeks. I don't see why we couldn't fit a mission in on such a long term schedule." Mustang opened up a drawer in his desk and fished around inside of it. Kakashi's eye followed Mustang's every move, unsure of what he was about to receive.

With a pleased exclamation, Mustang retrieved two black patches. With a smirk, he threw them both to Kakashi, who handed one to Naruto as the two examined them.

The patches were designed to be worn on the shoulder, and were sized appropriately. They were pentagons in shape, with the fifth corner pointing downward. Imprinted on the top was the emblem of a smiling skull, its eyes pulled to slits. Below the grinning skull were three words: Task Force Omega.

Kakashi looked up at his new boss expectantly, and Mustang continued his explanations.

"Task Force Omega, or Omega for short, is going to be the designation of your unit. The Fuhrer liked the idea after a description of your demonstration a few days back. He has already given the program the green light; you just have to come up with code names." Mustang said proudly. He seemed to be enjoying the fact that he came up with a new special forces team.

Kakashi looked over at Naruto, who seemed to be anxious to pick out a code name. He babbled on about some really cool names, like 'destructor', or, 'the orange menace'. His hare-brained suggestions were too absurd to consider, but it did spark an idea. Kakashi looked over to Mustang with a conspiratory gleam in his eye.

"What did you say the names of the Homunculi were again?" He asked mischievously. Mustang seemed to catch on, as his patented smirk returned full force.

"Lust, Gluttony, Envy, and Greed are the ones we have encountered so far."

Kakashi marveled at the irony. The murderers were named after the seven deadly sins. Not one to pass up on the joke/awesomeness, Kakashi turned toward Naruto.

"Our enemies are the seven deadly sins. We are Task Force Omega." He looked back at his new commander. Naruto looked over at his sensei curiously, obviously wondering what his new code name was going to be.

"The seven deadly sins only lead to death and despair. So, those will be the names Naruto and I take, respectively." Kakashi said firmly. Naruto thought about it for a moment, then let out a whoop and jumped up and down.

"Those are awesome names, Kakashi-sensei!" He said enthusiastically. The surrounding soldiers seemed to think so as well, judging by their collective smirk. Hell, even Hawkeye seemed pleased.

"So it's settled then," Mustang said resolutely and stood up. "Omega is now official. I'll be sending your subordinates to you later for screening, but you can walk around for a bit while Havoc rounds them up."

Havoc, who had been chewing on his toothpick like a good boy, started and looked quizzically at his commander.

"Uh, I will?"

Mustang turned and glared at the tan-haired man. With a nervous chuckle, Havoc disappeared out the door faster than many would have guessed.

* * *

(Unknown Location)

"It seems we have a new obstacle."

A smooth voice echoed from the shadows of a dimly lit, secret room. Despite the cavernous feeling that the room conveyed, the only source of light was a single candle, placed upon an ornate stone dais. In the flickering firelight, shapes danced across the platform, twisting in bizarre forms and fashions. But even as their silhouettes twisted and writhed, the five kneeling forms were hidden by the darkness.

"I wish to examine these new factors passively, Envy. Do not confront them." A commanding, yet feminine voice struck out from complete darkness. One of the kneeling shapes stiffened visibly, but then lowered its head in submission.

"This new task force has been created for the sole purpose of hunting Homunculi," a deep, familiar voice said gravely. "We should take extra measures to maintain our secrecy." A murmur of agreement passed through the other four, but they were silenced by the commanding voice once again.

"You may make _slight_ changes to hide your identities, but do not do anything over the top, Pride," the woman lectured snidely. "Remember, no one buries nickels. Try too hard to cover for your brethren and you yourself will arouse suspicion. " The figure on the far right nodded solemnly, but did not respond.

"And the Elrics? If _his_ sons get involved with this new threat?" The question was spat out derisively, yet contained enough compliance in tone so as to not be addressed. A long, uncomfortable silence wafted through the secret catacomb, and four of the prostrate forms shifted uncomfortably. Finally, the response came.

"The children of Hoenheim are of no consequence to this new task force. The only connecting fiber is their commander, Colonel Mustang." The female voice said coldly. "Should the Elrics even come close to joining this unit, their search for the Philosopher's stone would be endangered. But if Omega approaches them..."

A ghostly breath of air wafted through the room, snuffing out the only source of light.

"Then make sure Omega doesn't survive the encounter."


	5. Chapter 5

It seems that this story is pretty popular, and has the most reviews out of all my stories. Electronic high fives to all of you who are following this thing. Of course, I'm a bit of a beginner, so thirty or so reviews for a story is a big thing for me. Anyway, task force Omega gets a better description this chapter. Sorry for the whole 'Kyuubi is a little mascot' setup. He'll play a part, just be patient.

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto blinked. Then they blinked again. Hell, they blinked a third time. (This is getting repetitious... that word is fun to say.) Lying in front of them, folded neatly, were two blue uniforms identical to those that the soldiers of Amestris' military. Right next to them were the boots, cords, and hats that went with the clothes, as well a name tags and a field manual that had instructions and ceremonies that the two would have to memorize. Sitting next to those was a black velcro vest, designed to protect a canine and portray its allegiance. (I realize that Velcro probably wasn't invented here, but I need something more official than a _collar_.) Kakashi and Naruto looked at one another, then picked up the shirts hesitantly.

On closer inspection, these uniforms weren't identical to the others. There were multiple pockets across the chest, all of them thin and narrow, like those on Kakashi's jounin vest. The pants also sported pouches similar to their equipment bags, most likely to hold knives and other important and necessary items. Stitched on the the right shoulder of both shirts was the Task Force Omega insignia in all its badass glory. Kakashi set his new shirt down and picked up his nametag. Instead of saying 'Kakashi' or 'Hatake', it simply read 'Despair'. It seemed that Mustang had taken their code-names seriously, Kakashi realized with an amused grin. He picked his shirt back up to put the nametag on it, when something dark slipped out of the bottom. Intrigued, Kakashi picked up the article and looked at it. It was a mask, similar to his own in how it was to be worn. But that was where the similarities ended. It was a shade lighter than his normal blue mask, but a sinister set of skeletal teeth danced across the mouth, curled into an evil smile. Kakashi thought it was a little over the top, but it definitely looked cool. If they made it back to Konoha, he was bringing the mask with him. Overall, he thought the uniforms were only a slight annoyance, but an acceptable one. He liked them too; they looked professional.

Naruto was less than enthusiastic about his new attire. As he looked over the uniform with a frown, he griped loudly, "We're _required_ to wear these? I mean, it's not even orange!" Kakashi's silence just annoyed him more, but he could go with it. When he saw Kakashi's mask, he rummaged around in his shirt for one ask well. He felt a piece of cloth that seemed out of place, and pulled it out with a curious look on his face. What he removed was a mask similar to Kakashi's, but instead of skeleton teeth, his were the curved and sharp fangs of a predator. When he found it, he snickered and held it up to his face and turned to the Kyuubi, who sat next to his vest.

"Well," he asked expectantly, "how do I look?" The Kyuubi glanced at him, then the mask, then back at the blonde.

"**Like an idiot. With that hair, you look like an evil sunflower.**" The Kyuubi brought a paw up to its chest and feigned a heart attack. "**The sheer thought of a sinister dandelion sends cold fear down to my very marrow.**" The fox said sarcastically. Naruto's bravado deflated, and he set the mask down sheepishly. The fox sniffed curiously at his new vest, which also bore the Omega design. It smelled of velcro and machines; he wasn't too keen on wearing it with such a distinct odor.

Kakashi grabbed all of his gear and the field manual, then turned to the bathroom. Naruto and the fox sat outside and listened to the rustling of cloth, Kakashi's frustrated curses, and the jingling of the cords that showed he was an officer. After a few awkward moments, the Copy Ninja stepped out in his new garb.

Kakashi stretched his arms above his head, then twisted around to get a feel for the uniform. To his surprise, the shirt didn't restrict his movement near as much as he had assumed. He ran a hand through his unchecked hair, the now absent headband no longer keeping the silver hair in check. It still stayed up mostly, but some of it hung down in front of his eyes, which were both visible. Kakashi frowned at the development, and reached back into the bathroom. He removed the bolts that held the plate of his headband to the fabric, set the Konoha plate aside, then tied his rebellious mane back up as usual. He looked back at the plate, then placed it into his pouch as an afterthought. With that done, he turned to his audience and smiled nervously. "Well," he said, "how do I look?"

He heard the fox yip in what he assumed was an approving bark, a flurry of movement, and the bathroom door slam as Naruto rushed to get his uniform on. Kakashi sighed and went in behind the blonde, sure that he wouldn't be able to get the uniform on correctly in a million years.

After roughly twenty minutes of struggling and fixing, the two stood face-to-face in their new gear, Kakashi minus his Konoha plate and Naruto sans his headband and new mask. They turned to Kyuubi in unison, and the fox nodded in approval. They laughed and high fived. The new commanders of Task Force Omega were officially ready for duty.

After suiting up, the two placed their old gear in their closets, got their tools together, and headed out to meet with Mustang. Kyuubi followed behind, his new vest having to be adjusted to fit his growth. To the surprise of all three of them, it seemed that in the time they had been there, the fox had grown larger. Now, he would stand a head taller than Lt. Hawkeye's dog, Black Hayate, when normally he would have stood nose to nose with the dog. Kakashi reasoned that the fox would continue to grow as it replenished its chakra. He also theorized that as the fox gained more chakra, it would grow more slowly; each tail had more energy than the last. His speculation was nothing but theory, but the other two had nothing to go against his idea, and they went along with it.

The three reached Mustang's office without incident, and found him heatedly making out with his desk. Meaning, he was asleep. Again. _Okay, this has got to stop._ Kakashi thought to himself as a frustrated sigh escaped his new mask. He looked over at Naruto and made a hand sign that the blonde had come to hate. However, Naruto was ecstatic to see the secret technique employed on someone else for a change. Together, they silently and quickly maneuvered the Colonel so that he was in front of his desk, slumped against in deep slumber and his butt open for all kinds of mischief. (My god, this sounds gay.) Naruto ran to the window and opened it wide, so that Mustang wouldn't break it. That done, he and Kyuubi pulled out cameras from compartments in their new garb and prepared for liftoff.

Kakashi squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. The technique he was about to use was classified double S class, and was only meant to be used in _very_ specific circumstances. Thankfully, a superior or peer sleeping on the job fell well under the jurisdiction. The jounin put his hands together and folded all of his fingers into a fist except for his index fingers. That done, he gathered the chakra needed to execute the technique. When he had gathered enough energy, the Copy Ninja yelled the name of his technique as he moved in for the kill.

"Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!"

* * *

(Land of Rivers, at the portal)

Team Gai all clustered around the small black hole, trying in vain to peer into its depths. Neji had his Byakugan activated, and he could only get the faintest glimpse of a gate. When he reported his findings to Gai, the Green Beast of the Leaf grit his teeth in frustration.

"Without Kakashi and Naruto, we don't stand much of a chance against the Akatsuki; they were our heavy hitters." Gai admitted reluctantly. He didn't want to say that they were dead. That would be admitting defeat, something he never, EVER did. But...where could they be?

Behind them, Sakura, the team's pink haired medic and team 7's last remaining member, arrived. In her care was an Gaara, the red-headed Kazekage that Naruto had worked so hard to save not once, but twice. And behind them, carried by Gaara's failing sand, was the corpse of the elderly puppet master, Lady Chiyo. Team Gai turned to greet the new arrivals, but their gazes hardened at the sight of Chiyo's lifeless body. Lee looked away, and chose to focus instead on the swirling vortex in front of him. The others merely looked down. It was not Sakura who broke the silence, but Gaara.

"Where is Naruto?" the weakened Kazekage asked quietly. No one could look him in the eye, and not even Gai had the courage to speak outright. Even worse, Sakura had noticed the absence of her teacher as well.

"And Kakashi? Where did they go?" Sakura asked timidly. She had just beaten the scariest and greatest puppet master of all time. But the thought of losing her two remaining teammates... "Where's my team?" Her voice took on a higher, shriller tone, but Gai's team lacked their normal exuberance. And to Sakura and Gaara, that was enough.

"No..." Gaara said with gritted teeth. "Uzumaki never gives up. He can't be..." Even the former Shukaku vessel couldn't finish his sentence. His insistence on Naruto's survival finally dragged a response from Neji, however.

"On the other side of this... portal is a large gate." He said calmly, and deactivated his Byakugan. "Not even my eyes can penetrate what lies beyond it, but we must accept that... Kakashi-sensei and Naruto are gone." His somber expression matched the rest of Team Gai. What had happened? When they had been near, he had felt and seen chakra that he had only noticed when he fought Naruto – the red chakra that was later explained to belong to the Kyuubi. After several bursts of evil, vile chakra, Kakashi's chakra signature fluctuated, dimmed, and then both sources disappeared.

_I can only hope that their sacrifices will be remembered,_ Neji thought sadly. Tenten couldn't look at the ground anymore, and instead looked up at the weakened pair that stood before her. Sakura's hair hid her eyes from view, but the shining trails of tears glinted in the light for all to see. Sakura, apprentice to the Godaime Hokage, medic of Team 7, and one of the strongest kunoichi known in Konoha, was crying. She kept quiet, but the her sniffles and silent sobs were evident to both Gaara and Tenten. The weapon mistress didn't know which was worse: the loss of Kakashi and Naruto, or the sight of what could officially be designated Team 7 crying her heart out. It was a sad situation either way.

"Does anyone even know what happened?" Gaara demanded bitterly. He stood shakily, allowing his pink-haired companion to sink to the ground in her sorrow. His green eyes stared hard at the swirling black hole, the very portal that seemed to mock them all with its mere existence.

"Naruto was overtaken by his tenant, and Kakashi created the portal before us to stop him." Neji said curtly. "They are lost in the machinations of Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan." The answer did not appease Gaara, and he took a step toward the portal. Team Gai seperated, allowing him a clear view.

"So, Uzumaki and his teacher disappeared into this... gate?" Gaara asked, his voice growing stronger as his strength returned slowly. Neji only nodded in response. He waited for Gaara to stop and mourn like the rest of them, for the Kazekage to simply collapse in exhaustion and grief. Judging by Sakura's reaction, he could expect no less, even from someone as strong as Gaara. Any second now, Sabaku no Gaara would cave in to the depression they had already-

Without any ceremony, warning, or words, Gaara dove into the swirling vortex. Gai and Lee moved to grab the suicidal Kazekage, but they were too far, and had reacted too late. As they watched in abstract horror, Gaara's sandals disappeared into the black hole, and he was gone.

"No! No, this can't be!" Gai said loudly. They had succeeded in their mission, they had rescued the Kazekage. And just like that, he throws himself into a swirling vortex of death? He looked over at Neji, who already had his Byakugan activated. The Hyuuga watched with gritted teeth as Gaara appeared before the giant gate, which had already begun to open.

"Neji, what is happening?" Lee asked, panicking from the sheer 'we're screwed' characteristic of the situation.

"Lord Gaara is approaching the gate," Neji reported dutifully. Lee and Gai stared into the vortex as if they too possessed the Byakugan. Behind them, Tenten did her best to console the now wailing Sakura, and to set the no-longer-floating Lady Chiyo up against a tree. "He appears to be talking to a... mirror image of himself?"

Gaara stood before the massive gate, his previous weakness absent. He was the Kazekage; there was no room for weakness. He gazed upon the dark portal, unimpressed by its size. And as if by his silent bidding, the door began to open. Almost immediately, several hands composed of shadow reached out, but their grasping fingers stopped several yards from Gaara. And from the center of these dark appendages came a familiar silhouette. Gaara squinted as the figure grew closer. It looked like Naruto at first, but when his eyes adjusted to the dark, he gasped at the sight of himself. But instead of green eyes, the Gaara before him had no eyes; all it had was a white space inside each socket. He frowned when the figure stopped. Seeing no reason to drag matters on, he asked loudly, "Where is Naruto Uzumaki?"

The figure said nothing. This raised Gaara's ire slightly. Who was this shadow to refuse his answer? He was about to repeat the question when the figure spoke.

"The one you seek resides behind this gate. He payed his toll, and was allowed through." The voice that came from the still lips of the doppleganger was one Gaara hadn't heard in years. It was the depressed, angsty voice that he himself had used, back when he had first met Naruto. _Did I really sound like that?_ Gaara wondered idly.

"How do I pass through? Must I pay a toll as well?" He demanded monotonously. Once again, the figure did not respond right away. However, more shadow hands slithered from the gate. The limbs were starting to make him nervous; he was defenseless without his gourd of sand, save for the basic taijutsu training he had picked up. Before he could settle into a pose, however, the angsty, bratty voice came out again.

"Your toll was paid upon the others' arrival. I shall let you pass. However, only five more may enter this realm before the toll must again be taken." The shadow Gaara said. With that, the doppleganger disappeared into the darkness, and the shadow hands darted towards the Kazekage. Gaara's eyes widened at the sudden movement, but by the time he got his guard up, it was too late. Several arms seized his body, and they snatched him into the Gate. Gaara didn't even have a chance to grunt in surprise. When he had passed through completely, the Gate shut with a loud, ominous clang. After that, Neji reported to his audience what had transpired, and they moved slowly back towards camp, Lady Chiyo in tow. Two things were for certain; Suna would be angry, and Sakura would never be the same again.

* * *

Gaara watched with wide eyes as dark objects sped past him. He could feel the wind blow past as whatever was out there passed him. He felt himself pick up even more speed as a small light appeared in the distance. The light grew bigger and bigger, until he was almost upon it. Right when it seemed he would be thrown out into the light, however, a small dark form appeared on his left. The light stopped approaching, and looked over quizzically at the child. The boy didn't seem to have any hair, or arms, or legs, or any other defining properties. But he did have a manic grin, and two large, piercing purple eyes.

Whatever was controlling things decided enough was enough, however, and the last thing Gaara saw before being thrown into the light were the creepy purple eyes. The sunlight – the warmth that came with the light told him it was indeed sunlight – was bright, and he shielded his eyes with one hand. He noticed that, even though he seemed to have exited the Gate, he was still moving pretty fast. As his eyes adjusted, Gaara looked down. His contracted pupils be held a great desert, with nothing but sand for miles. Unfortunately, he also saw that he was several hundred feet _above_ said desert. "Aw, crud."

With that, Gaara plummeted to the earth, and for a moment he thought he had passed through the Gate only to be splattered across the desert of some unknown place. But that thought was knocked aside as a silly notion when he remembered that he was a sand ninja, one who specialized in _sand_. As he came within one hundred feet of the surface, he held a hand out, grasping for the sand to bend to his will. And, though it was a little sluggish, the sand came. A stream of sand rushed up and plowed into him like a wave, slowing his descent without harming him at all. He sustained it as he was slowly lowered to the ground. When he finally reached it, Gaara released his control over the sand and landed softly. Without his gourd, he needed to mix his chakra with some sand and form another one. But that could wait, he realized. Gaara brushed off his coat and looked around.

The same empty desert greeted his view for miles. There weren't many dunes, so he could see for a long way. And in every direction, it was the same: sand, sand, a town, and more-

_Wait, a town?_ He looked to the north, and sure enough, he could see a small settlement poking up from all the sand. Seeing as he didn't have a choice, he would head there. With his destination set, Gaara knelt and pressed a hand to the warm grains of sand at his feet. With practiced ease, he sent his chakra deep into the surface, mixing it with the sand within a fifteen meter radius. The sand he chose would respond more quickly than normal sand, and would form his gourd. At his unspoken command, the sand rose up and took on the form of his gourd, filled to the brim. It was roughly a meter and a half in length, and fit his strap quite nicely. Now fully equipped, the Kazekage began walking toward the town he saw.

After roughly fifteen minutes of slow walking, Gaara arrived at his destination. It wasn't nearly as town-ish as he thought. The sight reminded him of a battle he had fought years ago: rubble strewn everywhere, clothes and bodies in the streets, and an overall sense of despair. He hadn't found a town; he had found a battlefield. But, it was better than the unmerciful sun and desert, so the red head had no choice but to enter the town.

Gaara spotted what appeared to be the broken remains of a large chapel, similar to the ones he had seen in the Land of Water a few years prior. Lying next to the temple was a ridiculously large statue of a bearded man, presumably the god that they had worshiped. _Judging by the looks of this place,_ Gaara thought cynically, _a good bit of them has discovered if their religion was true or not._ Gaara shook his head in disappointment at finding a ruined town, and started to enter the relatively sound structure of a bank, which sat right next to the church. A loud sound and an impact in his gourd stopped him. The momentum of the shot staggered him, and he fell to a knee. He heard several sets of approaching footsteps, and mentally cursed his foolishness for not absorbing his sand armor earlier. Discreetly, he commanded the sand to creep up his arm and into his robes, since a body shot is what his assailants would probably choose. Now, he just had to ascertain who had shot him, since there was no way a shinobi would use a _gun_ of all things.

Gaara stood slowly and turned, careful not to cause undo alarm. He found three men in matching blue uniforms, all pointing rifles at him. Two men with brown hair and a blonde guy, all pointing their guns at him. Not his first choice in how he wanted to be greeted here. Seeing as he thought he was in charge, the blonde man snapped orders at the Kazekage.

"State your business here! No one matching your profile is on the books for living here." The man said gruffly. Gaara would have sweatdropped if he wasn't so annoyed. These idiots had shot him, then asked questions _after_ he stood back up? Amateurs_,_ Gaara thought with a frown. Still, it wouldn't look too good if he struck the first blow.

"My name is Gaara. I was passing through this... place, and I mean no harm." He said, raising his hands in emphasis. The blonde man smiled haughtily and nodded to the other two, who moved forward, slinging their weapons.

"Under the order of the military, I have full rights to search your person and detain you for questioning." The blonde man said with a savage grin. As he 'explained', the other two relieved Gaara of his gourd. The red head let them have it; it wasn't like he wasn't surrounded by his preferred weapon of choice. One of the subordinates greedily looked into the opening of the gourd, only to frown when he discovered its contents.

"This guy's a nut, boss," the man said to his superior, "he's carrying around sand in a freakin' desert!" The other two soldiers laughed uproariously, and Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously. He recognized their type: selfish soldiers that abused the power granted to them. He had punished several of his own men with similar dispositions. With that realization and the overall appearance of the area, he had no qualms about erasing these people.

"Well, _Gaara_," the leader said snidely as he lowered his weapon, "since you were found assisting the rebels of Liore, I am here to place you under arrest." The other two men approached Gaara once more, leaving his gourd unattended. "Big mistake." Gaara muttered under his breath. As the two lackeys came up to put cuffs on him, the sand around their feet came to life, and engulfed them completely. Their startled cries were soon muffled by sand as it pushed its way down their throats, suffocating them. The leader cried out in alarm and tried to bring his rifle up, but couldn't. He looked down in surprise to see a hand comprised of sand holding onto the barrel. He watched in horror as the hand materialized into an arm, and then into an upper torso that looked exactly like Gaara. Fear rushed through him, and he released the captured weapon and turned, intent on running all the way back to central. To do that, however, he required legs. With a sickening crunch and a splash of blood, Gaara's sand removed that option from the man's repertoire.

The man cried out in pain as his legs were crushed by a blanket of sand. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain and moaning. Gaara stepped forward slowly, and the man's moan of pain became cries of terror.

"No! NO! Get away from me, you monster!" He said in panic. Normally, the term monster would stop Gaara in his tracks. But after this greeting, he was sure the world wouldn't miss this man and his lackeys. Gaara's left hand came forward, and two fingers curled up. On his command, the sand holding the man in place began to rise into the air, with more sand flowing into it. As he felt himself rise up into the air, revulsion and pain was overcome by terror, and the man's shrill shrieks grew higher in frequency. The piercing sound began to irritate Gaara, and a stream of sand began to cover the man's torso and head. The captured soldier's eyes widened as sand covered all but his face, and he was raised still further into the sky. A pillar of sand held the man aloft. He finally stopped rising when he was level with the top of the church, and could see far away in all directions. He would have been amazed under different circumstances, but he was currently lame and terrified, so the view was the least of his concerns.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Gaara's attention, and he glanced to his left. Emerging from shadowed doorways and ruined walls, haggard from the fighting and bad living conditions, were the citizens of the town. All around, they gathered to see the pillar of sand that held a soldier captive, and the young man that seemed to control the elements themselves. His audience looked weak, tired, and hungry. And that solidified Gaara's decision. His hand opened fully, and the sand began to stir once more. Across the silent plaza, his cry echoed for all to hear.

"Sand Coffin!"

A crunching sound came from the top of the sand spire, and blood rained down on the square. Several people were splashed by the viscous liquid, and took cover. Others, however, marveled at the abilities of the teenager before them. Gaara let his control over the sand fade, and the tower of sand fell in a huge puff of dust. When all was settled, not a trace of the soldier remained.

Gaara turned to the townspeople of Liore and stared at them. Collectively, they seemed nervous. But he was sure that they were the victims, as none of them really seemed all that rebellious. He turned and walked into the church, not sure if any of them would follow.

When he walked into the doors, Gaara expected to see a trashed and looted worship area. What he found instead was a decently maintained church, complete with a red carpet mostly free of dirt and pews that were barely damaged at all. If it weren't for the gaping hole in the wall to his left, Gaara would have assumed he was under the influence of hallucinogenic substances. But that would be silly.

Quiet footsteps snapped Gaara out of his admiration. He looked behind him, and saw three people standing in the doorway. A woman in a white robe, with a hood cast over her head, stood in between two older men, both of whom hadn't shaved in days, by the looks of them. Gaara said nothing, but his stare was enough to coax an explanation out of the man on the right.

"Thank you for saving us from those soldiers, son. I'm not sure we could have done for much longer under Sergeant Polonski." The man said, his voice raspy and low, as if he was afraid to be spotted. Gaara nodded at the thanks, and turned to face them fully. When their eyes fell on his tattoo, they shared a look of confusion. They obviously couldn't read kanji, so he was hosed if he had to write something down. Still, there didn't seem to be a language barrier, something Gaara was grateful for. Curious about the land he'd been unceremoniously dumped in, as well as its inhabitants, he decided that some questions were in order.

"Who are you people?" Gaara asked monotonously. "And what is this place?"

The first man to speak seemed pretty comfortable doing all the talking, although the woman in the middle looked up as if she wanted to speak. A flash of pink and brown caught Gaara's eye, but the man began speaking before he could (politely, of course) determine her identity.

"My name is Ishmael. This is my brother, Ahab." The man said, then jerked his thumb towards the other man, who waved awkwardly. "And this is Rose, our Holy Mother." He gesture became one of reverence as he revealed the woman. Her hood receded enough for Gaara to see her face. She was quite pretty, and her tan skin went well with her two-toned hair, although how such a development could be genetic was beyond him. She smiled slightly and met his gaze with no fear or disgust; a sight Gaara had grown used to seeing since he had become Kazekage. But he was snapped out of his musings as the man continued to talk.

"This is the town of Liore. We've been peaceful for generations, but after our so-called priest Father Cornello left," the man spat out the name of his former preacher, a gesture Gaara didn't miss. "we've been harassed by both his followers and the military, who claim to be 'keeping the peace'." The man fell silent as he remembered the harsh times they had seen since the military had arrived.

"I'm guessing the military is still in control of this city." Gaara stated simply. He received a nod from all three, and looked down as he began to deliberate.

From what he could tell, the area seemed to corroborate with the man's story. A lot of the damage seemed to be caused by small arms fire to both sides, but there were several large crater that were too big to belong to anything other than a well funded combat force. Any commander under Gaara who would have sanctioned such a brutal way of peacekeeping would have been killed on sight. _And judging by their appearance, this has been going on for quite a while; a week at least._ Gaara's gaze hardened as it fell on Rose. No matter how pure she looked, with the open face and white clothes, she came across as damaged in his eyes. He could tell she had suffered some pain not too recently, by the guarded way she stood, even among her followers. _I can't get caught up in territory wars like this, _Gaara reminded himself, _my primary objective is to find Naruto._ With that, he focused once more on the trio.

"I'll stay here for three days. After that, I head for the capital of this nation." He said. His tone allowed no room for argument. To be fair, he wasn't even supposed to be here, and had other agendas. Who were they to beg his help, when they should have left already?

Rose nodded in acceptance, and tapped the two men on their shoulders. Her followers nodded, and they left Gaara alone in the church once more.

* * *

Naruto and Kakashi found themselves in a medium-sized room,before a platoon of fifteen men, all standing at attention under the two's inspection. To the pair's left was Col. Mustang and Lt. Hawkeye. After they had (quite literally) given their commander a rude awakening, Kakashi and Naruto had been introduced to their subordinates: fifteen men certified in interrogation, combat, and espionage. Outside of Naruto and Kakashi, these guys were the next closest thing to shinobi.

"At ease." Mustang commanded sharply, and the assembled men relaxed and fell into more comfortable positions. Mustang gestured toward Kakashi and Naruto, who both stared at their men with hard eyes.

"These are your two commanders. They report directly to me. If you have any qualms about serving under them, get over it." He seemed pretty cross, as if he'd just flown out of a window or something. (Author twiddles his thumbs innocently)

The men didn't say anything, but the message was clear: there was no backing out of it now. Each and every one of them had applied for special forces, and they had all been redirected here. Kakashi glanced over them one more time, then smiled under his new mask.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake." He said firmly. He had to be straight with them, or else they wouldn't follow his orders. It was all seriousness here. "You will refer to me as 'Kakashi', 'Despair', or 'sir'. Do you understand?" A loud chorus of 'YES, SIR!' filled the the room, and Naruto couldn't but grin. Next to him, Kyuubi began wagging his tail. Kakashi turned slightly, indicating Naruto.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki. He is my second in command. You will know him as 'Naruto' or 'Death'." Naruto almost pouted at not being included as a 'sir', but he had to look professional. Finally, Kakashi pointed across Naruto at Kyuubi, who looked pretty cool in his Omega harness.

"This is Kyuubi. I know he looks like a pet, but don't try to pet him. He understands speech perfectly, and is much older than anyone in this room. If he sees you goofing off or acting inappropriately, we _will_ know about it." Kakashi finished sternly. At the fox's intro, there was a slight feeling of confusion. Kakashi could understand, but the fox was going to be a part of their team; he couldn't afford for them to slip up around him.

The men remained silent, though a couple in the back exchanged confused looks. But they were in the unit now; it was too late to find out that it was a unit of crazies. An air of uncertainty and tension seemed to hang within the room. With the introductions complete, Mustang turned turned to Kakashi.

"I'll leave their training to you. They've already got their uniforms and standard equipment, but if you need anything else, come to me." With that, he left, Hawkeye following right behind him. As the door closed, Naruto's tough facade finally cracked a little.

"I don't think we should have sent him through that window." The blonde stage-whispered to Kyuubi. The fox nodded and winked in a conspiratory fashion, and a chuckle ran through the men. The tension that had formed was gone; the guys could see that there was some breathing room in this unit after all. And with that, Kakashi and Naruto began familiarizing with their new unit, one squad at a time.

* * *

The dark, foreboding room was again visited by the five silhouettes, all kneeling once more. And once again, the orders were barked from the darkness.

"Report."

The fat figure on the right and his slim companion remained silent, but the stocky shadow in the middle had something to offer.

"Omega has been bolstered from two men to seventeen," he said grimly. "I managed to keep a company out of their hands, but I couldn't block the recruitment totally without arousing suspicion."

"Very good, Pride. Continue to monitor them closely, but hide your actions well; it wouldn't do for them to discover you." The superior female voice said from the black oblivion.

The palm tree-shaped figure on the far right spoke up hastily.

"There's been some trouble in Liore." He said with an uncertain growl. "There seems to be an alchemist there, defending the people from the military." A dreadful silence fell over the room as the other five inhabitants contemplated this unexpected variable.

"Who is he?" The deadly tone brooked no misdirection.

The figure was hesitant, unwilling to offer all information. "I... I don't know. He hasn't been seen anywhere but Liore." It almost sounded like a personal affront, that the subordinate would have no knowledge on the suspicious character. The figure in between Pride and the figure on the right spoke up in her brother's defense before the commander could reprimand him.

"I ran identity checks for him across the board. He is neither a State Alchemist nor a registered citizen. No city, town, or village has a record of him." She said, her voice betraying her piqued curiosity. "It's as if he fell from the sky."

Silence fell once more as their leader contemplated her next move.

"Lust, Gluttony." The command was sharp, and the two figures on the left stiffened. "Liore is your project. You two head out there and find out just who our little hero is." The two nodded, and stood to leave. "Oh, and Lust?" The taller figure stopped.

"Yes?"

"Don't attack him outright. Just make sure he doesn't interfere with our Philosopher's Stone."

"Understood."

* * *

With that done, I'm kinda glad I started this story. I'm pretty much disassembling Naruto's world and focusing on Amestris, because that it where I think the characters can do better. Ninjas can kick ass in Amestris, but Alchemists would be slaughtered in the shinobi world. Peace through power, kids!


	6. Chapter 6

Woo, this thing is awesome! I kinda feel like I cheated by asking you guys about Gaara's code name. That's why I quickly removed that request. Anyway, there will be a total of six people from Naruto's world enter Amestris. I'll let you guys guess who, but don't review just to submit your guess. That's what PM's are for! _This is How You Remind Me_ by **Nickelback**.

* * *

Kakashi looked down at the gift with a blank stare. He wasn't a shinobi anymore, (temporarily, anyway) but he was still hesitant about this whole thing. Mustang picked up on his Omega captain's hesitation, and set the gift down on the table. When his hand came away, a long-barreled revolver, nickel-plated, sat on the table. Kakashi looked down at the gun, then returned his gaze back to Mustang.

"No offense, sir," the Copy Ninja said nervously, "but I'm not necessarily the cowboy type." His attempt at wit missed Mustang completely, and continued on to jump out of the window behind him in shame. Mustang didn't see problem, and he was dead set on Kakashi wielding a weapon that probably cost more than the Copy Ninja made in a year.

"Your little kunai and shuriken may be unique, but they aren't symbolic enough for this job. You need something easily recognizable." He pushed the revolver toward Kakashi once more, and this time the reluctant man picked it up. Kakashi turned the handgun over in his hands, running his fingers over the engraved name. Running down the four inch barrel was the name 'Rumor'. He nearly rolled his eye, but meant no disrespect toward his superior. Despite constant assurance that they were going to be a secret, black ops task-force, Mustang was going through a lot of effort to make them memorable. When he voiced his opinion, a self-assured grin appeared on the Colonel's face.

"Yes, you are going to be a secret. But I don't want you completely off the grid." He turned and looked out the window, clasping his hands behind his back as he did so. "As you could probably guess from the name I gave your weapon, I want you guys to be phantoms. And nothing scares the little kids away from a house better than a ghost story." Realization flashed through Kakashi's mind, and he had to admire the Colonel's plan.

"You're going to use the stories of our exploits to prevent further rebellions, and weed out the weaker willed villains. That's... smart." Kakashi conceded. He looked down at Rumor again with new vigor, and thumbed the release. The revolving magazine slid out smoothly and stopped with a satisfying click. It was empty, but he still felt like pointing it at a bad guy and saying 'draw, motherfucker!'. But that wouldn't be professional. With a flick of his wrist, the magazine was locked in once more, and he set Rumor down on the table. When he looked back up, Mustang was grinning at him.

"Since you are the commander, you get the cool gun. 'Rumor' will be your signature here, outside of your interesting techniques." Mustang pseudo-ordered. It had the weight of an order, but it was more like he was approving of Kakashi's decision. 'Despair' caught a holster thrown from Hawkeye, and he looked down in amusement. _And my father said I would never wield a firearm._ Sakumo Hatake had been a strong opponent to arming shinobi with guns. He had argued that against enemy shinobi, the ammo requirements and loud noises would render the advantages of the weapons a moot point. _But we're not fighting enemy shinobi, Dad._ Kakashi thought as he slid the revolver into its – no, _his_ – holster and hooked it under his left armpit for now. He would have time later to properly integrate it into his still new uniform. And acquire speed loaders, of course. When he thought about it, the name was fitting; rumors were great ways to spread despair, if used properly. He had to give it to the Colonel, the guy could come up with some seriously catchy stuff on the fly.

After he finished up with Mustang, Kakashi made his way back to his unofficial headquarters: a large barracks, newly erected, right next to the firearm training ground. The concrete building was hastily painted blue, but it still held all the authority of the military. He opened the door and walked in briskly, and it slammed shut behind him. He walked through the rows of green lockers easily, and turned to enter the common room: a major meeting place for the seventeen members (and one fox) of Task-force Omega. A large mahogany table sat in the center of the room, with exactly eighteen chairs, eight on the left, eight on the right, and one on each side. Carved into the center of the table was the Task-force Omega insignia, the skull nearly the size of a manhole cover. Kakashi's chair was on the other side of the table, and Naruto's was opposite of his. The chair to Naruto's right was a little lower than the rest, so that Kyuubi could sit in on their conversations as well. The rest of the room was pretty sparse. Except for a few chalkboards and some trash cans, the room was bare.

Without pausing, Kakashi continued through into the barracks proper, where racks of rifles sat on either wall. The large, spacious area was used for personnel inspection, practicing rifle manual, and other unit related activity. At the end of the troop bay were two doors on opposite sides, which led to separate rooms that held two men each. The only ones that got rooms to themselves were Naruto and Kakashi, the fox notwithstanding. Apparently, carrying the ranks of Captain and Major had some perks after all. Right in between those two doors was a door that led out onto the practice field. Since he hadn't encountered anyone, he assumed that Naruto had the troops out on the obstacle course. So, he continued out the door onto the practice field.

The sigh that greeted him had become normal as of late. Sixteen rifles were stabbed into the ground, with sixteen blue coats hanging from them. In a sand pit, sixteen men huffed and puffed as they clambered, sprinted, climbed, and jumped their way through the course. And standing at several key points in the course was Naruto, or a clone, at least. Nine Naruto clones were sprinkled into the obstacle course, yelling encouragements and reproaches to the men as they ran through the course. Other than when they had first seen them in action, the recruits for Omega had taken Naruto's clones in stride. They had all worked with Alchemists, and they just assumed that Naruto was an Alchemist as well.

The course itself was pretty normal; hurdles, tires, climbing walls, and the like littered the forty square meter training area. As he walked up, several recruits finished the obstacle course together, all of them out of breath and sweating. Their black shirts were all rolled up to the elbows, and their coat tails had been removed for their strenuous training. He recognized the three standing before him immediately. A large, stocky staff sergeant with gray creeping into his tan hair, named Louis Washington, leaned up against a wooden support as he slowed his breathing back to normal. The other two, second lieutenants if Kakashi remembered correctly, grinned and watched their colleagues run through the course. The one on the left had jet black hair, trimmed in the traditional military style. He had a confident face, with a sharp jaw and, as Kakashi had found out later, an even sharper tongue. He was Isaac Clarke, and he was the task-force explosives engineer. The guy on Clarke's left had wire-rimmed glasses, and his blonde hair was cut just like Clarke's. While Clarke brimmed with confidence, this guy seemed to be wary of his surroundings constantly. He had come from an intelligence branch out in the East, and seemed to be the most paranoid person Kakashi had ever met. Still, his paranoia was invaluable, and Kakashi new that Jonathan Drake was going to be his 'danger alarm'. The two second lieutenants were an unlikely pair, yet they seemed to be inseparable. How an explosives expert and a paranoid rifleman were such good friends was well beyond Kakashi's guess.

When the three runners caught their breath and noticed their commander's presence, all fatigue gave way to stoic discipline as they all came to attention. He waved his hand lazily, and they went back to recuperating. Kakashi walked up next to them and watched as blue-clad soldiers continued through Naruto's brutal course. Two more finished next, a couple of veteran machine gunners with matching red hair and freckles. The two sergeants were Phil and Vince Adams, cousins that had, through Mustang's influence, come together into the same unit. They were also the smallest in the unit, standing at a stumpy 5'6 each. They too came to attention when they saw Kakashi, and he waved them at ease as well.

"Kakashi-sensei!" The cry came from the nearest obstacle, and Kakashi turned to see Naruto running toward him. Kyuubi ran beside him, looking the part of a loyal canine companion. For a demon that looked down on humans (when he was actually able to _physically_ look down on them), he seemed to get along with everyone in the unit. Naruto ran up to Kakashi and, to the Copy Ninja's surprise, saluted smartly. Kyuubi stopped next to the blonde and sat as well, making them look quite professional. Amused that his student picked now of all times to be respectful, Kakashi returned the salute. With that done, Naruto turned to look back at the eleven other men still running through the obstacle course.

"How are they doing?" Kakashi asked as he watched one man lose his grip while climbing a rope ladder, only to be caught by a fellow soldier climbing next to him.

"They're doing great! A lot better than I expected." Naruto said proudly. "They don't have shinobi endurance, but as far as normal warriors go, these guys have it in spades." The two watched Omega run through the rest of the obstacle course, until all of them were through. When they had all assembled and retrieved their jackets and rifles, Kakashi had them all circle up around him.

"Now that I'm sure you guys can keep up with us, we're going to be receiving our first assignment today." Kakashi said loudly. The men shared grins and nudged each other, and Naruto whooped in excitement. "I want you guys to rack your weapons and meet in the common room. Our boss is sending over someone with the mission specifics. Once we've been briefed, you guys need to hit the racks. Early or late, our morning will be here before you know it." Kakashi said with authority. The assembled Omega nodded collectively, then dispersed to retrieve their stuff. As the other members talked about the course, Naruto and Kakashi walked back toward the barracks. Kakashi pulled out Rumor and showed Naruto, who gasped in awe.

"Wow, this thing is so cool! Can I get one too?" Naruto asked as he examined the revolver closely, turning it this way and that. Kakashi considered it for a second, then took it back.

"I think you would do well with a smaller one. But let's focus on kunai and shuriken for now," Kakashi said. His eye crinkled in amusement when Naruto let out a disappointed huff. Naruto may have gained a little discipline, but he would always be Naruto.

After they had done as instructed, Kakashi and Naruto had the group meet in the common room as planned. Instead of sitting, the men milled around the room, speaking quietly while they waited for their new assignment. Kyuubi and Naruto sat in the corner next to the door, the fox curled up in Naruto's lap while he pet it. Kakashi leaned up against the wall, his fingers wandering over the name carved into Rumor as he got lost in his memory.

A knock on the door jolted the assembled Omega members out of their reverie. Vince Adams hurried to the door and opened it quickly, revealing a man a few inches taller than Naruto. The man wore wire-rimmed glasses similar to Jonathan Drake. His slicked back hair still retained a spiky quality, but a stray lock of hair poked out defiantly above his forehead. His collar insignia gave the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and the manila folder in the crook of his arm pretty much solidified him as Mustang's messenger. The man stepped into the barracks, and Drake closed the door behind him.

"Hey there, guys! Maes Hughes, nice to meet ya!" The man said jovially. Before Naruto knew what was happening, his hand had been snatched from petting Kyuubi and was being vigorous shaken by the Lt. Colonel. Naruto grinned nervously, unsure what to do in this situation. And, just as quickly as he had gotten to Naruto, then man quickly moved throughout the room, shaking hands with confused soldiers as he flashed through. Almost inhumanly quick introductions of 'Maes Hughes, how ya doin' and 'Maes Hughes, nice to meet ya' could be heard before he finally ended up shaking Kakashi's hand. The major stared at Hughes as his hand went up and down at near supersonic speeds, until finally Hughes felt that everyone knew his name. He turned away from Kakashi and opened the manila folder calmly, a complete one-eighty in behavior. As he began pulling documents out of the folder, one thought almost echoed through the room: _Is this guy bonkers?_

Hughes made a sweeping motion, and Kakashi nodded to everyone else. Together, Omega clustered around Hughes and his papers. He pushed two photographs out into the center of the table. The first showed a pretty brunette woman in a smart suit and skirt, standing next to the man Kakashi recognized as the Fuhrer. The second showed the same woman, only this time she seemed to be speaking with a dark haired, paler woman. The second woman had a very distinct tattoo of the Uroboros serpent, or the snake that eats its own tail. Hughes threw out a third photograph that was smaller than the others, but was an enlarged picture of the tattoo. Along with the photos, Hughes also threw out several copies of some documents, which were passed around. Naruto sighed at this, and assumed that this would be some bureaucratic mission or something. He turned and left the room, unnoticed by the others. Kyuubi followed close behind, more out of boredom than anything. And so, he missed out on the very serious briefing that Hughes was about to lead.

"This woman here," Hughes said gravely as he pointed to the first picture of the brunette woman, "is the primary secretary of Fuhrer King Bradley. Wherever he goes, she goes. She is his shadow, in all but the most private matters." Hughes pushed the first document out, indicating that the others look at it. "Here, in the official report of the Ishbal Rebellion, it states that the first shot was fired by one Juliet Douglas. However," he flipped the document over to a casualty report dated two years prior to the Ishbal Rebellion. "this document reports the very same Juliet Douglas killed in action two years before the Ishbal Rebellion ever happened." His findings sent a ripple of anxiety through the Omega platoon. Kakashi sat with his eye closed, rolling the information around in his head as he contemplated all the angles.

"And here, in this second photo," Hughes stabbed a finger on the picture of the two conversing women, his finger nail cutting right into the pale woman's tattoo. "is the secretary conversing with one of your targets, the Homunculus known only as Lust." The men began talking amongst themselves, but it was Kakashi who put the pieces together first. His eye widened as Hughes dropped the bombshell.

"The Fuhrer's secretary is none other than Juliet Douglas." The silence that crept into the room was deafening. The officers grappled with the intricate implications that this represented. The enlisted men still struggled with the fact that someone so high up on the chain of command was their enemy. Throughout all of this, Kakashi stared at Hughes' back. IF these findings were real, then obviously there were larger things at work here than just a fishy secretary. Kakashi shook his head at the craziness, and slowly stood up. Hughes heard him moved, and turned to face the Omega commander.

"Do want us to follower, interrogate her, or kill her?" Kakashi asked stoically. To be honest, he wasn't sure about this. No matter their skill, this would be Omega's first operation as a team. It was crucial that they pull this off as smoothly as possible. Kakashi searched the room, but there was an absence of blonde hair and blue eyes. _Dammit, right when he needs to hear something, he bolts!_ Kakashi mentally cursed.

"A little of both, actually. Tonight, she is supposed to introduce me to a certain Dr. Marcoh. Odds are, she's never seen the man, or he's long dead." Hughes said with a grim frown. "Still, I'll be meeting with her so as to not arouse suspicion. And I want you, Despair, to come with me." Hughes said evenly. Kakashi nodded, and looked around at his subordinates.

"What will my men do?" He asked.

"They will secure the building we're going to be entering. If a Homunculus or two attacks, I'm going to need all the backup I can get." Kakashi nodded, and looked at his watch. Four-thirty. Kakashi looked around the room, and fell into 'Despair' mode once more.

"All of you, we have about an hour and a half until go time. I want all of you armed and ready in thirty minutes. Captain Death will be leading the outside guard, while I go with Lt. Col. Hughes. Any questions?" There were none. He nodded in acceptance. "Good. You're dismissed."

Forty-five minutes later, Kakashi had Naruto and the rest of Omega surround a large hotel building near the edge of Central proper. The blonde had positioned his team in three man squads, and had left a clone with each team. Shadow clones were a wonderful thing. The original Naruto crouched in an alleyway right next to the main entrance to the building. Next to him, Kyuubi was sitting calmly, and sniffing every now and then. Naruto glanced left into the building for probably the hundredth time, and the fox snorted.

**"Don't worry about someone blowing past you. I'll be able to smell activity before anyone is even near here."** The fox said, whipping its tail back and forth like a broom. Naruto relaxed slightly, but the kunai never left his hand. He leaned up against the brick wall with a sigh, and looked down at the fox, who returned his look with a flat stare.

"How did we get here?" Naruto asked quietly. It was a question that had been bugging him for a while now. He had gone crazy because he'd found that Gaara was... gone. Kakashi had done that weird Sharingan thing, and they had gone to the weird gate thing. After it had taken the Kyuubi's tails, they had wound up in that room with the other guy.

**"I think that, had I not been as powerful as I was at the time, we would be dead."** That shook Naruto out of his memory with a start.

"What? Why do you think that?" He asked in a hurried whisper. He was glad enough to be alive, but he also wanted to know exactly _how_ he had almost died. The fox seemed angry about that whole gate thing anyway, and he spat out the next sentence.

**" When we go back through that gate, I'm going to rip it down, block by block and piece by piece. It had the **_**gall**_** to take my power, and there will be retribution."** The fox snarled, and its tail went from brushing the ground to lashing out at the walls. Its thick fur dulled the impact into a quiet _swoof_ as his tail hit the bricks. Naruto was sure that, had the Kyuubi been at full size, that much tail activity would be enough to destroy a city. Still, the sight of a dog-sized Kyuubi raging about being powerless was funny. He snickered at the fox's predicament.

"You know, you're a lot easier to deal with when you're not sealed away and the size of Gamabunta." Naruto remarked with a grin. The fox's ears flattened in annoyance, and he bared his teeth.

**"I may have to be a bit more 'cuddly' because if I were at my true size, I wouldn't have to rely on you and the other humans for survival. Count yourself lucky that I'm not at full strength, or I would have eaten you long ago."** Naruto rolled his eyes, then settled down to wait, content to leave the fox alone for a bit.

* * *

Inside, Kakashi and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes walked behind the woman known as Juliet Douglas. They played the easy going part perfectly: Hughes chatting up the secretary, and Kakashi reading his book. Their story had been seamless; Hughes was bringing Kakashi along to transfer him to Mustang's unit, a move that wasn't high enough in importance to require a significant amount of paperwork, and thus went well under Douglas' radar. Kakashi read his book quietly, but he kept alert all the same. He could tell a setup when he saw one, and this was textbook. Ms. Douglas would bring them to a room that would hold their attacker, not Dr. Marcoh. _Even so,_ Kakashi thought glumly, _these aren't the military's most wanted for nothing. They surely have a few other tricks up their sleeves._

"Thanks again for going through all this trouble, Ms. Douglas. Tell me," Hughes said conversationally, "do you know anything about the Ishballan Rebellion?" Douglas didn't turn to look at him, and Kakashi just kept reading his book.

"No, I've done office work my entire career." She said simply. This woman had only one tone of voice: cold. Still, Hughes tried to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, the same goes for me. I had to look some stuff up recently. Did you know the rebellion was triggered by a soldier who was posted there to keep the peace? Apparently, she shot a helpless Ishballan child, and it became their rallying cry." Hughes prattled on. Kakashi cast a sidelong glance over at his commander. _What are you on to, Hughes?_ He wondered. "The weird thing is, that soldier's name was Juliet Douglas." Kakashi closed his book discreetly and returned it to his jacket pocket. One way or another, something was going to go down, as it seemed Hughes was going to let these people know that he was on to them.

The woman looked down slightly. "A common name, Lt. Colonel." She said dismissively. But was that apprehension Kakashi heard in her voice? Or a dangerous warning?

"Here's where it _really_ gets interesting." Hughes said, his casual demeanor gone and the serious tone coming into play. "According to a little article, the soldier with that name died two years before the Ishballan Rebellion started."

Douglas didn't tense or show any reaction to the news, a truly indifferent guise masterfully played. _But we're already on to you, and you know it._ Kakashi thought.

"That is strange." The woman said stoically. But Hughes wasn't done yet.

"One more curious thing." He moved a little closer to Douglas. "Although that soldier was reportedly killed, the name Juliet Douglas was never removed from the military's active duty list." They slowed their pace, and Kakashi moved up to be next to Douglas. She glanced over, recognizing his move for what it was, but did nothing. That, in itself, was significant. _She's completely calm because she has backup._ Kakashi realized.

"In fact, that same soldier, with the identical file and matching ID number, landed a big promotion two years ago." Hughes ended his circular accusation. They came to a stop next to a wooden door marked '202'. Douglas turned, her impassive face setting Kakashi on edge.

"She was selected to become the Fuhrer's next secretary." The woman finished. Hughes' easy grin turned skeptical.

"Who are you? Actually?" He asked, his tone indicating danger. The woman didn't look him in the eye, but merely closed her own and looked down.

"The doctor is waiting for you." She said in a resigned tone. This messed with Hughes' cool, Kakashi could tell. The Copy Ninja decided that the facade was over, and pulled Rumor out from under his jacket, the nickel plating glinting in the artificial light. Douglas' eyes fell on the name at the end of the barrel, then ran along the gun to fix on Kakashi's eye, and they widened momentarily. And with that action, Kakashi knew that things were a lot worse than Mustang had thought. She had recognized him, not by the patch on his shoulder, or by his face, but by _the name of his gun_. He cocked the hammer back and held the handgun aloft with both hands, then nodded to Hughes. The Lt. Colonel nodded back, and Hughes moved to open the door.

A slam was heard, a the door across the hallway – directly behind them – was thrown open, and the woman from the second photo swiped her abnormally sharp fingers up to Hughes' throat. Kakashi pointed Rumor at her forehead, but she was too focused on Hughes to notice.

"A pleasure to meet you," she purred, "or should I say, goodbye, Lt. Colonel." Hughes grinned once more, a look completely out of order in this situation.

"That's one sexy tattoo you got there, babe." He said. And then, a lot of things happened at once. The fingers extended, something that caught Kakashi by surprise. Hughes leaned back, and the sharp points cut across his arm instead of stabbing through his jugular. As he moved, Hughes through a knife right into her throat. The woman's eyes widened in surprise, and she stumbled back, gagging on the blood pouring from her wound. As she did, she felt a cold barrel press into her temple, and glanced sideways to see Kakashi's revolver. He pulled the trigger. The recoil was more than he had compensated for, and Rumor snapped up into the air, rolling naturally with Kakashi's wrist. His shot, however, was not wasted.

The woman's head literally exploded, sending brains, blood, and gore all over Kakashi, the walls, and the floor. More gunfire echoed from down the hallway, and Kakashi jumped back. As he did, a bullet slammed into Douglas' shoulder, and she cried out in pain. Hughes and Kakashi turned to see Lt. Ross, a woman Kakashi had met earlier, pounding down the hallway, firing her pistol at the two women in front of them.

"Move, sirs!" She yelled, and continued firing rounds into the general area of the women. They took a nanosecond to notice her terrible aim, then ran down the hallway, toward the main exit. Ross continued on behind them, pointing the now empty gun in Douglas' face as she passed. The three soldiers turned a corner, then they were gone.

As soon as they were out of sight, Lust's body began to twitch. Douglas' shoulder, as well as the cloth that covered it, quickly reformed back to normal, as if she was never shot in the first place. A light began moving up from Lust's neck, climbing up until it would have encompassed her head. The light disappeared, and Lust had a head once more.

* * *

Kyuubi suddenly stiffened, and began to smell the air. Naruto noticed his change in behavior, and took up his position in the alleyway.

**"Kakashi, Hughes, and another are heading this way."** The fox reported. He frowned, and sniffed again. **"The one with them isn't Dr. Marcoh. It smells of many people."** Kyuubi looked up at Naruto. **"It's definitely not human." **That was enough for Naruto, and he stepped out of the alley just as the three came hurtling in to view. Kakashi had his new revolver out, and Hughes was clutching a bleeding right arm. Behind them, a woman with an empty pistol sprinted. Naruto had seen her before, but a name didn't come to mind. Besides that, something seemed... off. Naruto ignored the feeling and fell in as they ran. Kyuubi ran alongside him, though he seemed to keep his distance from the woman.

Kakashi reached a hand up to his ear and keyed his mic. "Everyone, move in and secure the hotel. One contact is dead, the other wounded." A chorus of affirmatives came back over the line, and Omega stormed the hotel.

Hughes turned the corner and ran straight to a pay phone. Ross, Kakashi, and Naruto all stood outside, standing watch in case someone else tried to axe the Lt. Colonel. Hughes fumbled in his pockets, then produced several coins, which he slotted into the machine quickly. A tense silence fell as the call went through, and then Hughes spoke hastily into the phone. Kakashi couldn't pick out what he was saying, but instead turned to face Ross.

"That was some good timing back there, Lieutenant. If it wasn't for you, we'd be lacking a Lt. Colonel." Kakashi said. Ross smiled at the compliment, but her smile turned to a look of shock when she felt cold steel press up against her forehead.

"You also prevented me from apprehending the suspects, whom I'm sure have already fled the scene." Kakashi said coldly. He nodded to Naruto, who quickly relieved the fake Ross of her weapon. The woman allowed him to take her weapon, and smirked.

"You must be 'Despair'. Given how you act, you seem to be pretty serious. I can see why Lust wanted us to bring you down first." The woman's figure shimmered, then disappeared in a wash of light. When the light faded, a different person stood before them. He had long green hair, styled similar to a palm tree. He wore a top that stopped at his ribs and had no sleeves, and a pair of black biker shorts with a modest cloth covering both sides. An Uroboros tattoo sat on his left thigh, identifying him as a Homunculus. He also had odd strips of material around his wrists and his ankles.

"So, you're a shape-shifter." Kakashi stated simply. Hughes stepped out of the phone booth with an angry growl.

"Dammit, Roy! You're acting foolish again!" He looked up to see the Homunculus before him. "Well well, what do we have here?"

The Homunculus sneered, and jumped back suddenly. Kakashi locked on to the pseudo-human's form and fired several shots, Rumor kicking in his hand as he did. The Homunculus back-hand springed away, and the rounds whizzed by his chest to harmlessly embed themselves in a brick wall. The green-haired Homunculus landed and smirked, then stood up haughtily. Kakashi let his revolver drop and stared at the fake. The Homunculus raised his hand and offered his middle finger to the soldiers, and was almost too preoccupied to here the footsteps behind him. With a twirl, the green-haired criminal sent a spinning roundhouse kick right into one of Naruto's clones, breaking the doppleganger's face as he did so. Naruto cursed at his failed plan, and the Homunculus took his haughty stance once more.

"The name's Envy." The green-haired person said with a sneer. "And you boys should know that no one can hide from us." With that, he jumped backward and over a rooftop, out of sight. Kakashi holstered his weapon, and Naruto growled. The boy ran to chase after Envy, Kyuubi right behind him, but he was halted my Kakashi's words.

"Naruto, stop. We've won this encounter." Kakashi said sharply. The blonde skidded to a halt and looked back with an indignant look on his face.

"Aw, come on! I can catch him and beat the crap out of him, easy!" The blonde said. Kakashi shook his head, and Hughes turned to make another phone call.

"If he got away from you, then he would know about your techniques, and that would make it harder to take them out in our next face-off." Kakashi lectured. Naruto sighed heavily and slowly made his way back to the other adults. Kakashi patted him on the shoulder easily.

"Don't worry, I'll let you go all out next time. This was just a test. And it's obvious that they were trying to kill Lt. Colonel Hughes, not us." Kakashi said with a backward glance. Hughes stepped back out and pointed toward the nearest bench.

"Find a seat, a car will be by in a few minutes to pick us up." He said despondently. He shut the door and walked over to a bench himself. The man seemed put out that they hadn't been able to capture Envy. Kakashi shook his head and walked up beside the now sitting commander.

"Don't worry, Hughes. With the secretary we captured, we'll be able to pinpoint their hideout, at the very least." Kakashi said. Hughes didn't respond, but nodded slowly. Kakashi's radio crackled, and he cupped his ear to answer. "Go ahead."

_"Major, the suspects are gone."_ Clarke's voice came over the radio. Kakashi's eye widened visibly, something Naruto noticed immediately.

"What do you mean, gone?" Kakashi asked incredulously. "I'm pretty sure I blew one of their heads off!" Hughes looked up at Kakashi, a worried look in his eyes.

_"Sorry, sir. They're not here. There's a big puddle of blood and such, but there are two bloody tracks leading away from the scene."_ Clarke reported. Kakashi shook his head at that. Not only had the woman recovered from his decapitating shot, she had gotten up and walked off.

"Did you follow it?"

_"Yes sir. It ended at a solid brick wall. The blood trail just stopped mid step."_

Kakashi just sighed. That definitely wasn't expected. If the Homunculi could regenerate wounds like the one he inflicted on Lust, they would be tougher opponents than he had first thought.

"Roger that. Get back to the base, we'll debrief when everyone's there." Kakashi ordered dejectedly.

_"Yes sir. Sorry, sir."_ Clarke's radio clicked off, and Kakashi's hand dropped from his ear. Naruto picked up Kyuubi and walked over.

"Well?" The blonde asked curiously. Kakashi glanced over at him, but didn't say anything. As a reply, the Copy Ninja just sighed and sat down next to Hughes. As the car pulled up, Omega realized that this pursuit would be harder than they had first assumed.

* * *

Gaara ducked under a broken door frame just as the soldiers opened fire. The rapid fire outside was nearly deafening, but the rounds didn't penetrate the wall he used as cover. Even if they managed to hit him, he still had his sand armor. Since they were firing bullets, however, it was thicker than usual to compensate for multiple hits. The extra sand slowed him down slightly, but not too much. The red head peeked out a shuttered window, and counted the soldiers clustered in a crowd out in the street. _Fifteen... seventeen... twenty all together. Not bad for a patrol._ He thought as they fired another salvo of bullets into his building's dense wall. Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly, and he reached forward toward the sand around their feet.

"Sand Burial." He whispered quietly, and cupped his hand. As he did, the sand around the soldiers' feet began to displace, and they quickly began sinking. The unfortunate soldiers cried out in alarm and struggled to escape, but it was too late for them already. Several fired in vain into the sand, the only result being a pierced foot or two. Their screams of peril were soon choked off as their heads disappeared under the ground. The men sank beneath the surface of the roiling sand, and Gaara stepped out from his cover. He approached the ring of darker sand, where the men had once stood. He knelt and placed a hand on the edge of the circle, and sent a pulse of chakra into the ground. A miniature earthquake rushed through the quicksand, and everything inside of the circle was compacted. Without even being able to scream, the soldiers were crushed into oblivion.

Satisfied, Gaara stood up. He looked around the destroyed street, and knew his work was done: not a single soldier remained in Liore. He dusted off his hands and frowned. Even though he'd accepted it as a fact, the soldiers attacking the innocent people of this town was still far-fetched. If the prophet that had held control over the region was gone, then why had the fighting continued? Hell, why had the soldiers even come to this place? The red head shook his head and walked toward a bombed-out building at the edge of town. His thoughts rolled around inside of his head, and Gaara sat on a destroyed column, his hands clasped as he contemplated the situation.

The people of Liore had been good to him, almost like his own village. And the soldiers attacking them hadn't been especially merciful. Some had been extremely cruel, but others were just following the orders their commanders had shouted before being consumed by sand. That meant two things: this military pushed discipline to the point of foolishness, and that the main problem was not the military as a whole, but rather its leadership. _Cut off the head, and the snake is no longer dangerous._ Gaara reasoned. A wry smirk crept across his face. _Well, so long as the head is completely destroyed._ He recalled how dangerous his own council had been at first, as far as progress was concerned. The old stalwarts had blocked every move he tried to make. No one had missed them, however, when they all of a sudden disappeared.

A slow flutter of white in his peripheral vision snapped Gaara out of his thoughts, and he turned his head to see Rose standing in in the street, looking at him. He blinked, and stood up, then walked over to where she was. Her baby was nowhere to be seen, but she still wore the white robes that signified her maternal status. Gaara's mind briefly flitted back to how Ishmael had referred to Rose. _Holy Mother._ Gaara finally realized what the man had meant. For better or worse, the people of Liore needed a prophet, a beacon of hope. And Rose was their beacon, their prophet.

Rose smiled at the red head, and he hazarded a small smile as well. It was temporary, however, and his trademark frown overcame his face once more. He turned away from Rose, and her smile faded.

"I've kept my promise. The military won't bother this town again for a few weeks." Gaara said. She nodded sadly, accepting the prospect of him leaving. Her helpless look was invisible to him, yet... it was almost as if he had felt it. He paused, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized: this was a lost cause. He was their last defiant breath before the plunge, their last glimpse of light. They would try to protect their homes, and the military would come and crush them. In essence, he was leaving them to their deaths. And by God, they weren't trying to stop him. That would not do.

"Rose."

The woman stiffened, but came up to his side. Gaara turned his head and looked at her with one green eye, and his voice had all the properties of steel.

"Guide your people away from this place. Death is the future of this city." She looked taken aback, and retreated slightly, her mouth open in a pained grimace. He knew how she felt; his home had been a place of sorrow for him as well. But his village had been salvageable. Liore was doomed.

He faced forward once more and walked out of Liore, his strides long and fast. His gourd materialized seemingly out of thin air, and attached to his back. Rose stood at the threshold of the town, watching him leave. When he was roughly sixty meters out, the Kazekage turned and looked back at her. Rose smiled sadly and raised an arm, waving goodbye to the last savior of Liore. A sweeping cloud of dust obscured him from her sight. When it finally passed, he was gone. Rose let her smile and arm fall, and turned back to the town she had been selected to lead. She would get them to prepare for the journey. Liore would survive, if only in spirit. But as she trudged back to the main shelter, she couldn't hide the tear that ran down her cheek.

* * *

"Dammit, Mustang! I'm telling you, she wasn't the only one!" Kakashi said earnestly, slamming his fist into the desk for emphasis. To his credit, Mustang didn't flinch. The Colonel sighed and unfolded his intertwined fingers, then stood to face his newly minted Major. Kakashi hadn't been around for too long, but he'd been here long enough for the Colonel to trust his judgment.

"Alright," Mustang said reluctantly, "let me hear it." Kakashi nodded, and drew Rumor.

"When she first met me, she didn't recognize me by face." Kakashi began. He paced the office, building his case as Mustang crossed his arms. "When we went in, she didn't even notice my Omega patch. As we walked, Hughes drew out his entire investigation, ending with how he came about to find that Miss Douglas was a phoney." As he said this, Kakashi sent a hard stare at Hughes, who shrugged sheepishly. "When we were attacked, I pointed Rumor at her. She looked at the name, then looked at me, and I could see it click. She recognized me by the weapon you had issued to me _this morning!_" You've got more than one rat here!" Kakashi holster Rumor angrily, lest he be tempted to use it. Mustang said nothing, and just stared at his desk. After Kakashi stopped pacing, the only sound in the room was the steady ticking of the clock.

Finally, Mustang set his shoulders and looked up at Hawkeye. He nodded toward the door meaningfully, and she understood. The adjutant crossed the room quickly and locked the door. When the click resounded through the room, Mustang leaned forward on his desk, a conspiratory gleam in his hard eyes.

"Hughes," he ordered firmly, "give me your suspicions. I don't care how far-fetched they are, I wanna here all the possibilities." The spectacled man smirked and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, where to start..."

* * *

I would like to fill out the rest of this conversation, but I want you guys to wait a bit while I tweak the plot a bit and clear up a few gray areas. I'm also really fucking tired. Review please, I want to know how you guys like this.


	7. Chapter 7

Well, chapter six is out of the way. Now I'm steamrolling right on in to chapter seven! Woohoo! All false enthusiasm aside, I'm glad to be working on this one for a streak. I like writing this one because it challenges me more; I have to come up with more believable stuff. In Blood-stained Hurricane, I could make a talking hedgehog the main character without much imagination. Hmm... Well, enough about that, it's time to get cracking! _Avarice_ by **Disturbed**.

* * *

Also, I apologize for the short confrontation. I want to get my characters better developed before we get some combat going. Now, seriously, chapter seven! NOW!

Gaara looked out the hotel window at the rather depressing rain that had been falling for three days straight. After reaching some border town in the desert, he had taken a train to a city in the East, a novel experience to be sure. Gaara had never ridden a train before, and had enjoyed the experience... mostly. The little brat kicking the back of his seat had dampened the trip slightly. An army of tiny sand people had sent the boy crying to his mother several seats away.

Gaara smirked at the memory. He had departed at the third stop, not even completely sure where he was. All he knew was that he wasn't in the desert anymore. With the money he had pilfered from the remains of the soldiers in Liore, is had been easy to book a room in a decent hotel, as well as pay for the train ticket and food. He had been surprised when he ran into a blonde woman ranting and raving about some special tools, and 'automail', whatever that was. When a short boy and a man in metal armor showed up, Gaara had first assumed that they would try to rob her or worse. But when he saw that the woman was begging the blonde boy to buy the tools, Gaara had rolled his eyes and left. There was no use standing around watching some fight with metal arms, either.

So here he was, relaxing in a hotel with his worst enemy keeping him inside. Rain. If it weren't a necessity, Gaara would have dried up every lake, pond, and stream he found. Rain made him next to useless, since it turned his sand into mud. Under the right conditions, a genin with a garden hose could defeat him. The humiliating thought had occurred to Gaara some time ago, and he had taken to practicing taijutsu with his siblings. They were still way ahead of him, but he was almost on par with Baki. No small feat for someone who once used sand for everything. As it was, he had no idea where he was, where Naruto was, or how to get back to Suna. _Now that I think about it,_ Gaara mused with a sweatdrop forming on the back of his head, _I could have thought this out better._ But it was too late now. He was in uncharted territory, and searching for someone to boot. A challenge, to be sure, but he wasn't Kazekage just because he could manipulate sand.

Gaara looked out the window longingly. Would it really be so bad to spend some time in the rain? He knew enough taijutsu to break every bone in a civilian's body, and if the soldiers in Liore were any indication, the people of this country sucked at fighting. _It's not like I'll be fighting another shinobi,_ he reasoned. With that, Gaara stood up. He set his gourd on the bed, and allowed the sand coating his body to fall away and attach itself to the container. He left enough chakra in the gourd for it to retain its shape, just in case someone would come in before he got back. It would be inconvenient (not to mention embarrassing) to have to search every vacuum cleaner in the hotel for his weapon. Gaara smirked at the mental image, then turned and walked out the door, being sure to lock it as he went.

As he walked down the street, Gaara observed the various people that went about their daily lives. He saw couples sitting under awnings, gazing out at the rain as they held each other. He saw friends sitting on patios, talking about how Jumbo had lost to some shrimp. He saw families walking home, all of them huddled under the father's large umbrella, laughing as they walked. Gaara smiled slightly as he took in all these images. It was the perfect picture of peace. He sidestepped a particularly large puddle and continued his aimless trek. His mind hovered on the image of the friends talking to one another, laughing and spending time together. Gaara reached into his pocket and pulled out what most people thought was a gold watch, attached to a fine gold chain. The exterior was smooth, and had Suna's symbol carved into the front. When he opened it, however, inside was not the face of a timekeeper, but two photographs. One of them showed Temari, Kankuro, and Matsuri all waving at the camera, and a less than amused Gaara struggling to get the birthday cake out of his hair. It had been Gaara's first birthday as the Kazekage, and Kankuro had celebrated by dumping the cake all over his precious little brother's head. Still, it was his first real experience with his people, or Matsuri at least. The young woman had broken through his shell pretty quickly, and had taken every opportunity to visit him on those long, grueling days.

The opposite picture, the one inside the lid of the locket, was a picture of Naruto on top of the Hokage monument, giving the camera the peace sign. Standing beside the hyperactive blonde was a younger Gaara, who had just returned from a joint mission with him. Gaara smiled at the memory, and at the grinning face of his first true friend. Naruto had stopped him from destroying the Leaf village, fought him toe-to-toe in his most hideous form, and had still made the effort to befriend him. If there was a better person than Naruto out there, Gaara didn't want to meet them. He'd hate to see Naruto trying to beat the stuffing out of someone in a jealous fit. Still, the two pictures, while not the only ones in his possession, were easily Gaara's most precious treasures. He had requested the locket's manufacture shortly after being named Kazekage, and had kept it with him ever since. He smiled again, and went to put it back into his pocket.

A flash of woodland camouflage entered his field of vision, and Gaara turned. As he did so, he felt someone brush past him, and the familiar weight of his locket disappeared. Gaara's eyes widened in shock as a dark woman in camouflage pants and a black tank top sprinted away, then turned down an alleyway and disappeared. He looked down at his empty hand in shock, still in awe at what had just happened. He finally recovered, and he clenched his vacated hand into a fist, and took off after the woman, an angry frown clear on his face.

"Hey! Get back here!" He yelled after the thief as he turned the corner. As he turned, he caught a fleeting sight of the woman running across the rooftops. Unfazed, he applied chakra and ran up the alley wall, then jumped into the damp air as he followed the woman. She was only a few meters away, having taken longer to ascend than he had. Their feet splashed in water as rain continued to pour onto the rooftops, making traction dicey. Gaara had little to worry about; he was applying a steady stream of chakra to his feet to prevent him from slipping. The woman, however, had no such security, and her combat boots would only stick to the slanted tiles for so long.

Sure enough, just before she reached the edge of a long building, her feet shot out to the side. Startled, the girl cried out in surprise and slammed onto the hard tiles. The force of the impact made her release Gaara's locket. The keepsake clinked as it bounced lightly on the tiles, before coming to a rest at the very edge of the roof, precariously close to falling. Gaara stopped, unsure about what to do. While he hesitated, the girl began to slide toward the edge. She tried to grasp the slanted tiles, but it was in vain. Gaara looked at the locket, then back at the girl. In the end, it was her wide, pleading eyes that decided it for him. _Ah, balls._ He thought to himself.

Just when the young woman's legs dangled out into empty space, Gaara dove forward and grabbed her hand, adhering to the roof with his chakra. The force of his impact caused his locket to wobble, and it slid a fraction of an inch closer to falling. Gaara swore, and threw the girl up onto the roof roughly. That final shock was enough to send the precious locket over the edge. With a desperate lunge, Gaara leapt over the edge after it. For a split-second, he hung in empty space, grasping for the locket. His hand closed around it, and he smirked in victory. He flipped in the air, and landed in another alley in a crouch. Glad to have his locket back, Gaara mentally patted himself on the back for such awesome action. He had saved the girl _and_ retrieved his precious keepsake. _Speaking of which..._ Gaara looked up at the roof, hoping to catch a glimpse of the thief. Unfortunately, there was no sign of her. Nonplussed, Gaara shrugged and pocketed his locket. It was no skin off his nose if she didn't feel like thanking him. Although, he could understand if she was a little hesitant to face him after stealing his locket.

Brushing the event from his mind, Gaara exited the alley and turned left, walking under an awning of a store. The light from the store, even if it held no real heat, brought warmth to Gaara as he stepped into. The illumination provided some small comfort, and he sighed contentedly. If Kankuro could only see him now. Shivering in the rain, standing under an awning for shelter. Almost as if to complete the beggar image, the store owner, a grizzled, middle-aged man with gray hair, opened the door with an angry scowl.

"Hey," the man growled, "no solicitors. Either buy a television or get off my property!" The man's tone irked Gaara somewhat. Not only that, but it was a _public_ sidewalk. Even so, Gaara turned to apologize. As he did, the televisions on display came into his vision, and he caught a glance at a familiar shock of blonde hair. Alert, Gaara turned fully and faced the TV's, ignoring the angry complaints of the shop keeper. On the screen, a news reporter spoke soundlessly (the glass prevented Gaara from hearing her words) as four figures ran from a building. The news crew decided that replaying the image was good for publicity, as Gaara once again saw the blonde hair he had come to recognize. The camera zoomed in, and he noticed the silver hair of Naruto's sensei, Kakashi Hatake, as well. Not one to get his hopes up, Gaara scrutinized the blonde soldier running away from the hotel. _I would have to have all the luck in the world..._ Gaara thought as his eyes bore into the image. Sure enough, Naruto's tell-tale whisker marks were seen clearly on the blonde soldier's face. Gaara could feel the excitement boiling up as the image repeated. Naruto and Kakashi followed the man in front of them time and again, but Gaara had seen enough.

He turned to the shop keeper, who had his hands on his hips and an angry scowl on his face.

"What city is that?" He demanded. His tone caused the store owner to cock a brow, but his angry demeanor returned quickly.

"If I tell you, will you get away from my store?" The man asked gruffly. Gaara nodded quickly, impatient as the man turned to look at the TV. He needed only a moment to look, and turned back to Gaara.

"That's Central. You know, the capital? Looks like the old Four Seasons hotel that everyone liked so much." The man said with little interest. He took in a deep breath in preparation to tell the red head to scram, but Gaara was already long gone. Apparently, no good deed goes unpunished after all.

* * *

Team Gai and their single awkward tag-along sat around the camp fire, too drained and depressed to attempt the two-day run back to Suna. The members of Team Gai, with the occasional exception of Neji, refused to look at Sakura. And they had good reason. When Gai's team had met up with Team Kakashi, Sakura had been a vibrant, confident kunoichi ready to rescue a friend. As she sat there, staring into the fire, one would hardly recognize her now. Her torn and cut clothes were blotted with blood, dirt and sweat. Her normally bright complexion was marred by the film of mud, perspiration, and tears. Even her pink hair seemed to have lost some of its brightness. To the outside world, Sakura Haruno was a broken woman.

Neji glanced over at the medic for the third time that night. She was just sitting there, arms wrapped around her knees as she stared into the fire, eyes unseeing. For all his talk during the chuunin exams, Neji could hardly say that fate would be so cruel as to take the girl's whole team away from her, when she had striven to do all kinds of good in her life. He sighed, and stood up.

"I'm going to go examine the portal once more." He said to the others. Gai and Lee nodded, not looking at him. Tenten, who was busy wrapping Lady Chiyo's body, didn't seem to have heard him. Sakura, however, came back to life once more. Or at least, as close to life as she could manage in her state.

"Wait, Neji." She said shakily, her voice cracking as she slowly stood. "I'll come with you." Neji looked at her, pity and sadness evident in his gaze. But she was already beside him by the time he had found the energy to deny her. With a shrug, he led the way to where Kakashi's portal was located.

When they reached the clearing, Neji took notice that the self-sustaining portal stood out, black abyss against the dark blue of the night. Even though its master was long gone, the jutsu remained. It was almost as if it had been ripped open, and would require another's action to close once more. When Sakura's eyes adjusted to the darkness, her breath hitched. Neji took notice, and turned away to allow the kunoichi the privacy she needed. He waited quietly as the Hokage's apprentice collected herself once more, then turned back when she was contained.

As he had said in camp, Neji activated his Byakugan, the veins around his pale eyes protruding from strained use. Just as before, the portal led to the same white room, and the large, black gate sat as it had when the Kazekage had passed through it. Yet, no matter how he looked at it, there didn't seem to be a way to exit the portal once it was entered. If that was really the case, then the Memorial Stone in Konoha's central park would be getting a few more names. _And Naruto never became Hokage._ Neji thought sadly.

He turned to look back at Sakura. The pinkette was standing right next to the vortex, her fingers caressing the boundaries as she fought the pull of its energy. She could feel the tug as the doorway tried in vain to pull her through. She resisted easily, but a thought occurred to her: Why resist? What did she have left in the world, since her team was gone? Tsunade, of course, and Shizune as well. Her other friends, like Ino, Shikamaru, and... Sasuke. But without her team, what good was she? How could she be a medic if she didn't have a team? _Master always told me that medics shouldn't do reckless things,_ she thought as she inched closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neji stiffen, and take a step toward her. _But she also said that a medic should never stay behind._ Kakashi, Naruto, even Gaara had passed through this dark doorway. Why couldn't she? Almost without thinking, Sakura took another step toward the portal. The pull on her body became much stronger, one she almost couldn't resist. Would it really be so bad if she were to join them, either in death or in some unknown place?

An iron grip wrapped around her shoulder, and Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts. Startled, she turned to see Neji holding on to her, a determined look on his face. His grip was hard, and he strained to keep her anchored to the ground. Sakura blinked, then turned and looked into the black abyss, then looked back at the Hyuuga prodigy. Neji was dumbfounded to see not a look of terror, but one of pleading. He shook his head fervently. He couldn't let another comrade slip away, and he most certainly couldn't let the last remnant of Team 7 go. He tried to pull her back, but it was to no avail. Sakura had let both of her legs enter the portal, and the pull was stronger the ever. He wondered if he could call for help in time. He glanced back toward camp. No, it was too far. He grimaced, and looked back at Sakura. She locked eyes with him once more, and mouthed one word: _Please_. That did it. Neji's strength faltered, and his grip failed. Soundlessly, but with a sad smile on her face in silent thanks, Sakura Haruno passed into the void, and disappeared.

"Fuck." Neji cursed under his breath, and sat down heavily on the ground. She had wanted to go. And he had allowed her. Whatever had altered her judgment, be it post-traumatic stress, depression, or some other mental shit, Sakura was gone. And it was his fault. Neji slammed a fist into the ground in anger. _I shouldn't have let her come! I should have know this would happen!_ He berated himself. Neji punched the ground once more, then looked back up at the swirling vortex in weary resignation. No matter how he looked at it, this would be his first utter failure. And even though she had smiled before passing through, Neji knew Sakura would haunt his dreams for months. When he returned to camp several minutes later, no one looked at him. They all could guess what had happened. And with that, Konoha had lost another shinobi.

* * *

Sakura gasped in fear as the darkness rushed past her, the hands clasping her limbs cold and grimy. After she had conversed with what she could best describe as a thing, the gate had opened and she was hurled in. The trip through was quick, however, and when the white light eliminated all of the darkness, Sakura opened her eyes. And she gasped.

She was sitting on a cold tile floor, looking up at an old ceiling. Sakura blinked, then sat up and looked around. There were several cots around her, some with curtains attached to their frames. The linens were a dirty white, and the floor was most likely unhygienic, but Sakura's best guess at her location was a hospital. _How in the world did I get here?_ Sakura wondered as she slowly stood up. She looked around, but could find no other occupant of the large room she was in. Considering her lack of neighbors and the dirty surroundings, she surmised that the hospital was also abandoned. Curious, Sakura walked toward a pale yellow door that was in the center of the wall on her right. She gripped the handle and turned it, and the door opened with a loud scraping noise. Sakura winced at the sound, and looked around to see if she had attracted any attention. No one appeared. With no clue as to her surroundings, the medic turned right and walked down the hallway, leaving the door to the medical bay slightly ajar.

She walked down the damp hallway, and noticed with slight distaste how run down the place looked. Everywhere, the thin blue paint on the walls peeled, and there were several holes in the wall. Sakura felt her anxiety rise; no respectable place would allow its medical area to be in such disarray. As she neared the end of the hallway, her hand unconsciously fell on her knife, secured in the sheath on the small of her back.

The room at the end of the hall was decently lit, but even the light felt dirty. She got up against the wall, and slowly peeked around the corner. As she did, all speculations about her surroundings pulled out grenades, pulled the pins and ran at each other – they died.

The room she had found had a grimy red carpet, a few shades lighter than the color of blood. There were several questionable stains here and there, but that was irrelevant. A bar sat in the back, though from the looks of things its selection was markedly limited. Only a few bottles of gin and scotch occupied the oak shelves. The bar also lacked a barkeep, and so Sakura allowed her gaze to wander again as she peered farther out. A relatively well maintained pool table sat in the center of the room, a naked bulb hanging several feet over it. A few meters away from the pool table was a large red couch, though Sakura couldn't guess at the material. In the couch, however, was a man.

The guy had spiky hair, and a really sharp jawline. Judging by the tailor-made pants and vest that he wore, along with the shiny boots that were propped up on the other side of the couch, Sakura could easily infer that this guy was _loaded_. The man's eyes were closed, his hands behind his head in a position of rest. His breath came out softly and smoothly, and his eyes moved around behind their lids. In short, he was asleep.

Sakura glanced around, but couldn't find anymore occupants. Deciding that the coast was clear, Sakura stepped out into the main room, her hand still on her combat knife (I say combat knife because that thing is too big to be a normal kunai). She walked up silently to the couch, and got a closer look at the man. He was, in a way, handsome. His sharp features and confident smile that remained present even in sleep told of a strong, brave man. But throw his surroundings into the equation, and Sakura could tell he was a criminal, and a good one at that. She peered closer at his smile. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but she could have sworn he had pointed teeth...

The medic shook her head. She didn't have time to worry about some crook's dental plan. She had to find a way out of there. She turned and scanned the room for an exit. If she couldn't find one, there was always the other end of the hallway. But alas, there was a stairway leading up to another floor. Sakura paused and listened, and could just barely pick up the sound of activity above. From the sound of it, there was another bar on that floor. _And that makes this the basement,_ Sakura thought. She took another step toward the stairs, but something stopped her. A prickly feeling ran up the back of her neck. She didn't know why, but it felt like there was someone watching her. Sakura turned and looked at the man sleeping on the couch. Correction, laying on the couch. His eyes were open, though they showed no malice. He grinned at her, showing off his sharp teeth, then made a shooing motion with his hand. Confused, Sakura slowly turned and walked up the stairs. She wasn't completely sure about this guy, but he was giving her a free pass.

Greed watched her go, then readjusted himself and closed his eyes again. "Damn," he muttered to himself, "the Gate's seen more action in the last month than it has in ten years." He shrugged, then went back to sleep. It wasn't his problem anyway.

Sakura reached the top stair and looked around. Sure enough, it was a bar. The furnishings up here were a lot better than the ones downstairs, but they lacked the personal touch. The booths were clean, the tables weren't chipped, and the bar was stocked with many different liquors, as well as a barkeep. She sighed in relief and released her knife. Several patrons sat at the bar, and another two or three sat in booths. One of the men in a booth glanced up at her, but the rest just ignored her and nursed their beverages in peace. Above the bar, a sign portrayed the bar's name. _The Devil's Nest, huh?_ Sakura thought. She glanced around again, and suddenly caught on. The reason no one paid her no mind was that most of these guys were probably criminals. There was no air of hostility, and the idea was simple: don't pry into others' business, and you were accepted. They wouldn't ask, and you didn't have to tell. Sakura appreciated the atmosphere, but snapped out of her mental wanderings when her gaze fell on a door. Without another glance around, she walked over to the door and opened it.

The city she stepped into was mostly quiet. Night had fallen, and most lights were out in the buildings around her. By her reckoning, that would make it two or three in the morning. _When I jumped in, it was around eight or nine,_ Sakura thought incredulously. That threw out her earlier hypothesis. She had assumed that it had merely been a teleportation jutsu, like a really powerful Shunshin. But apparently, time was altered as well. She stepped out, and was nearly run over by a hooded sprinting figure. She ducked to the side, teetering precariously on one foot before regaining her balance.

"HEY!" She yelled after the person, shaking her fist in anger, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, ASSHOLE!" The person stopped, and turned. She stomped forward, ready to pound the jerk into a boneless pulp. The person reached for his/her hood right when she grabbed them by the collar. Before she could start giving them a rant that would make Ibiki cower in his torture chamber, the hood fell back. For a second, Sakura thought she was having a flashback of her fight with Sasori. The hood came away, and a shock of red hair sprouted up. The young, emotionless face stared right back at her. But as her eyes roamed the person's face, she came across two familiar characteristics. The black-rimmed eyes, and the kanji for love. Hesitantly, she released the man.

"Gaara?" She asked tentatively. The images from her fight with Sasori disappeared as the Kazekage readjusted his collar, a frown on his face.

"If this is how you greet all your friends, I can see why Naruto is so fearful of you." Gaara said as he brushed off his front. Sakura had the decency to blush in embarrassment. She had nearly throttled the Kazekage! If Tsunade could see her now, she either give Sakura the worst beating of her life or pat the girl on the back.

"Where have you been? Where are we? Where is Naruto and Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked quickly, rattling off questions before Gaara could answer them. The red head raised an annoyed eyebrow, and Sakura once again blushed. He raised a hand to start ticking off things.

"First, I made my way here after two weeks of traveling." He raised a second finger. "Second, we are in the Eastern City. It is the second largest city in this country, which I have determined is called Amestris. Third," he said, and poked Sakura's abnormally large (don't kill me) forehead, "I saw them on a television in Central, the nation's capital. I was running to the train station when you decided to step into my way." Gaara retracted his arm quickly before the pinkette decided to bite off any fingers. Sakura's (large) brow furrowed in puzzlement.

"Two weeks? You were only gone for four hours, if that!" She said incredulously. Gaara's eyes widened slightly, but he shrugged and brushed it off.

"I suppose that time moves faster in this realm." He offered. Sakura sighed at his nonchalant acceptance to an outrageous theory, then looked past Gaara's shoulder. Sure enough, a train station sat there, with a waiting locomotive fueling up and preparing to leave. She realized something, before her hand could instinctively go to her money bag. Gaara started to turn and continue, until he saw a sheepish smile creep across the medic's face.

"You, uh..." Sakura twiddled her fingers in a very Hinata-like way, "wouldn't happen to have enough money for two tickets, would you?"

Gaara stared at her blankly. Her face dusted pink once more. The Kazekage slapped a palm to his forehead, and checked his money bag. "I believe," he said resignedly, "that Temari's friend would say 'Troublesome' in this situation. Since he is not here I have to pick up the slack." Sakura looked at him expectantly, but the young politician just continued on to the train platform. She waited silently for him to use Shikamaru's trademarked phrase (seriously, he'd gotten the paperwork for it), but it never came. He didn't say it when they purchased their tickets. He didn't say it while they waited to get on the train. He didn't say it when they found their seats on said train. When they pulled out of the train station, Sakura turned to ask him when he was going to say it.

"Seriously-" She began.

"Troublesome." It required all of her willpower not to punch him straight through the window.

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto sat in the barracks, passing the time with a good old-fashioned game of poker. They had been perplexed with chess, and had nearly jumped at the chance to play Go with Breda. But when it became clear that the big man had no idea how to play the game, the two just quit and went to playing poker. The money they had received in their paychecks was more than enough to cover food, so the excess became gambling money. Several others had joined in on the game, including the Adams brothers, Clarke, and surprisingly enough, Kyuubi, holding his cards in hand-like paws. And they were all living to regret it; Kyuubi and Naruto had both amassed huge stacks of money, while the only other substantial player was Kakashi. Container and demon shared identical grins when Vince Adams stomped off angrily to get more money, claiming he was going to win it all. Most of the other men had been content merely to watch, and they were kept amused as the normally cool Isaac Clarke swore explosively every time he lost a good hand. (He he, get it? He's the explosives expert.) Hand after hand, a pattern formed: Kakashi would either bet or fold, Naruto and Kyuubi would both bet, and whoever the other sucker was would bet _every time_. But then, things got interesting; if Naruto folded, Kyuubi won. If Kyuubi folded, Naruto won. If neither of them folded, Kakashi won. Everyone else was screwed. After Vince had returned with 500 cins, Kakashi scooped up his winnings and pocketed them. He offered his chair to Jonathan Drake, who took it nervously. Kakashi faded to the back of the crowd, and Drake cautiously drew out several bills for the buy-in. As the cins appeared, Kyuubi and Naruto both shared a red-eyed glance, something that alarmed Kakashi slightly. He didn't stop the game over it, but he walked away as he contemplated the action. He continued to look at Naruto, but the blonde's eyes faded back to their normal blue hue.

When they had first arrived in Amestris, Kyuubi had already been outside of Naruto's body, and Kakashi had simply assumed that the seal was gone. With the fox down to the size of a terrier, that wasn't much of a problem. But the fox was growing every day, and his chakra along with it. Naruto didn't seem to have any adverse effects, until Kakashi had seen his normally blue eyes turn that murderous crimson. _I'll have to keep an eye on those two_, Kakashi thought grimly. If Naruto was halving the Kyuubi's chakra between the two, then that meant the boy was going to get very powerful, very feral, very quickly. And that could possibly endanger the platoon. It didn't seem that

Kakashi sighed heavily and pulled out his book. Even in the worst situation, Icha Icha never failed to lift his spirits. The intricate plot, the character depth, all of the vistas described in extreme detail could captivate the Copy Ninja for hours. Due to his rather questionable research habits, Jiraiya's books were often thought as perverted or simply porn; a terrible misconception that Kakashi had attempted to curb. Sure, there were love scenes, but they focused on love; a climactic peak in a forbidden relationship. But with prejudice standing, all he could do was read his book and leave all those poor misguided souls to their ignorance.

As Naruto and Kyuubi continued to clean out the not-as-wise members of Omega, Kakashi leaned up against the door, book in hand. As he eyes ran over the pages, his mind went back to the conversation with Hughes and Mustang. Hawkeye didn't count because she didn't really contribute.

Kakashi had given them more than enough evidence to question the Fuhrer's entire staff, possibly even the Fuhrer himself. But when the prospect of Fuhrer King Bradley being the culprit came around, the other two men had clammed up. Normally, Kakashi would be able to understand. Some men were extremely loyal to their leaders, sometimes past the point of reason. But the look on Hughes' face told a different story. He knew that the Fuhrer was up to something, but he didn't want Kakashi to catch on. The Copy Ninja could sympathize, though. Any action taken when the dictator himself is an enemy of the state is a coup d'etat at best, execution for everyone involved at the worst. And since he had played a part in the revelation, Kakashi was now involved, as was Naruto and Kyuubi. He _knew_ that the two colonels had realized that they had brought the shinobi into this. But what he couldn't figure out was why they were so hesitant to ask for help. They'd trusted him enough to command a platoon of specially trained men, given him access to mildly secret information. For someone they had arrested, that was above and beyond what he had expected. _They probably don't have enough support for such an action,_ Kakashi mused, and turned the page. Of course, it was all speculation. The Fuhrer could be totally innocent, and those directly below him were pulling the strings. While Kakashi wasn't sure how that one would hold up in court, he knew it was a possibility. He smirked as Clarke swore loudly once more, and closed his book.

A ringing sound snapped him out of his reverie, and he turned toward the source of the noise. The phone that hung on the wall near the table was nearly bouncing off the wall. The gamblers all looked at it, then looked back at him. He shrugged and walked over lazily. He picked up the receiver, and answered conversationally. "Hello?"

_"Kakashi."_ It was Mustang. The Copy Ninja took back everything he had just thought, hoping he wasn't about to get wrapped up in a coup. The elite procrastinator struggled for an excuse.

"Uh, sorry, Kakashi can't come to the phone right now. Would you like to leave a message?" He tried, wincing at the comical look Naruto was giving him.

_"Cut the crap, Despair. We need you up here. I want you in my office in fifteen minutes. Alone."_ Mustang stressed the last order, and the line went dead. Kakashi blinked, then set the receiver back onto its peg. He turned to look back at the game, only to find every pair of eyes on him. He chuckled nervously, the coughed.

"I'm going up to see Colonel Mustang real quick." He explained while making his way to the door. "Naruto, you're in charge until I get back." He didn't receive a reply, but he knew the blonde had heard him anyway. Kakashi opened the door, then headed out into the cold morning.

* * *

Gaara and Sakura sighed simultaneously for what had to be the fifteenth time. They hadn't counted on Central being FOURTEEN HOURS AWAY when they had boarded the train. The first part had gone without incident; Sakura had leaned up against Gaara and gone to sleep. Gaara had been slightly uncomfortable with the sudden close contact, but had distracted himself by staring out the window. After the fourth hour, Sakura had woken up to find the illustrious Kazekage leaning up against the window, a trail of drool running down the glass. At first she was alarmed, since Temari had said that poor Gaara wasn't able to sleep because of Shukaku. But with said demon gone, the red head was free to sleep. Still, she had roused him from his slumber, and the two had talked quietly. When the sixth . hour rolled around, a rather rambunctious child took the seat behind the two shinobi. Sakura didn't seem to mind, but Gaara had been annoyed. And, sure enough, the boy started kicking the seat. Well, tried to start. After two impacts, Gaara's secret sand wrapped around his leg in the form of a demon's arm. He had immediately released him, and the boy had taken off screaming so quickly that it was a wonder the seat wasn't on fire.

As Sakura watched the large buildings of Central approach, she couldn't help but get the feeling that something was about to go wrong. As she thought this, there was the muffled sound of gunfire toward the rear of the train. _Wait, guns?_ Sakura thought in puzzlement. _Who the hell uses guns?_ The door from the rear slid open, and two men with sub-machine guns stood in the doorway.

"Alright, nobody fucking move!" Sakura and Gaara rolled their eyes, but a more pressing matter seized their attention: Central was flying past them at too high of a speed. **The train wasn't stopping.**

Gaara summed it up nicely. "Those motherfuckers..."

* * *

I know I gave Gaara a dirty mouth there, but he's been through a lot recently. Anyway, review!


	8. Chapter 8

Didn't get many reviews last chapter. Too soon? I just wanted to get the first problems out there, since it seems that I've been portraying a frickin' Garden of Eden. Anyway, here's our first omake! Meaning, this will have no impact on the story, but it made me laugh just thinking about it.

* * *

**~Sasuke and Orochimaru in~**

_**The Crazy Lab Caper**_

Sasuke fiddled with the purple bow around his waist for what had to be the millionth time. Orochimaru had given him power, a summoning contract, even a sword. But the man had also given him the gayest and most uncomfortable clothes Sasuke had ever seen. When he had been younger, Sasuke had investigated the source of Orochimaru's strange garb. It turned out that the clothes the Snake Sannin gave to his greatest warriors were free gifts from a Kabuki theater in the Land of Rice. The knowledge had put Sasuke in a bad mood for days. When Kabuto had found out, the medic had laughed discreetly every time he saw one of them.

_Why do I have to put up with all of this crap, anyway?_ Sasuke wondered. He hadn't really received much of a boost from Orochimaru in the past few years. Hell, the man seemed more interested in his experiments than he did in furthering Sasuke's training. And that was what had Sasuke wandering around Orochimaru's secret base at two o'clock in the morning.

_Odds are, he's probably raping Kabuto again,_ Sasuke thought acidly. _Well, I guess it wouldn't really be considered rape..._ That thought sent an image to Sasuke, and the Uchiha visibly shivered. Pushing the mental picture of Orochimaru and his favorite boy-toy aside, Sasuke reached a door marked 'Lab 501'. An electrical hum emanated from the room, and the black windows failed to keep the blue light from a Tesla coil inside. Intrigued, Sasuke slid the door open and slipped in, quietly shutting it behind him.

The laboratory looked like a high school chemistry class, with several counters and pipes all over the place. Beakers, glass containers, scales, and other miscellaneous chemistry stuff lined the shelves. And in the back corner of the room was the Snake Sannin himself, clad in a white lab coat and bent over a microscope. The man was motionless as he studied whatever it was he was working on. This dedication to observation (...whoa...) allowed Sasuke to creep up to the man silently, and without notice. Orochimaru's work area was neat, if crowded; several journals were opened and all set in the top right corner of the table, situated so that each highlighted passage could be read easily. In the center was a holding device of some sort, complete with miniature manacles. And clutched in this tiny prison was none other than Kabuto.

Somehow, the medic ninja had been shrunken down to the size of a mouse, and was currently screaming in terror (in a high-pitched voice, of course) as a scalpel hung dangerously close to his stomach. The blade was held in Orochimaru's motionless hand, while the man studied a sliver of flesh beneath his microscope. Without looking up, he laughed that creepy laugh he just _adored_ to use.

"Sasuke, could you help me with this? It's seems this little clone won't stop moving." Orochimaru said evilly. Sasuke looked down at the clone of Kabuto with disinterest, but grabbed the little guy by the gut nonetheless. With unerring accuracy, Orochimaru sliced a tiny portion of skin and fat from the clone's stomach, cutting through his miniscule shirt in the process. Though it seemed tiny to them, proportionally it was like removing a whole ass cheek's worth of skin. The little Kabuto's screams increased in both pitch and volume as Orochimaru calmly placed the flap of skin under the microscope.

"Just as I thought," Orochimaru said with a serpentine smile. "He is aging much more quickly than normal." Without looking up, Orochimaru pointed toward a table off to his right. "Sasuke, would you be a dear and grab that container of brown fluid over there?"

A little miffed at being ordered around like a lab assistant, Sasuke walked over to the table with a frown. When he got closer, however, he realized Orochimaru's slight error in description. There was not one container of brown, viscous fluid, but two. Sasuke picked up both of them by the necks of the beakers and held them side by side in comparison. _Crap. They're exactly the same._ The Uchiha looked back at the Snake Sannin, who was impatiently thumping the little Kabuto in the face with his finger, the equivalence of being punched in the face by a train. Sasuke looked back at the containers, shrugged, and set the left one down. Prize in hand, the young Uchiha returned to Orochimaru's side and handed him the beaker. Without so much as a 'thank you' or anything, the mad scientist poured the entire beaker's worth onto the little clone. The mini-Kabuto coughed and sputtered, but then fell silent. Orochimaru readied his scalpel once more, but then stopped as he finally looked at the small clone.

Or, to be more precise, clone_s_. Now, there was a free clone, still miniature, standing next to the trapped clone. Orochimaru and Sasuke, looked at each other, blinked, then looked back. Only to find four clones standing there. Two of the little guys were struggling to free their trapped brother while the others were shaking their tiny fists at the two gigantic observers. The Snake Sannin and his apprentice too a hesitant step back, unsure about what to do.

"Uh, Orochimaru," Sasuke said nervously, "you haven't let loose any hallucinogenic poisons, have you?" The Snake Sannin shook his head, eyes still locked on the table.

With a high-pitched war cry of 'Attack!', eight clones appeared on the table. The two snake summoners stepped back again. The clones started grabbing more chemicals and dumping them onto the original. He quickly replicated again, making the count up to ten. And then he tried to breath fire.

Several minutes later, Sasuke and Orochimaru sat outside Lab 501, listening to the havoc inside as the miniature Kabuto clones took their revenge out on poor defenseless lab equipment. After hearing what sounded like the fire alarm go off inside, Orochimaru sighed dejectedly and removed the lab sign from the door.

"Another one down, it seems." Sasuke flinched as a beaker smashed against the window on the door, cracking it slightly. He moved farther away from the door, just in time to see a scalpel punch through the window and embed itself into the opposite wall.

"Is there a safe way to kill them all?" He asked as another knife came sailing through the window. Orochimaru lifted a panel on the wall to reveal a button with the word **'EMERGENCY'** stenciled onto it. With a dejected sigh, he pushed it firmly. A roar of an inferno burst from the lab, and flames leaped from the broken window. The fire stopped almost immediately, and silence finally reigned. Just as Orochimaru replaced the panel, Kabuto came jogging up.

"Is there a problem, Lord Orochimaru?" He asked curiously. Orochimaru smiled sheepishly and wringed his hands.

"You remember that...er..._sample_ I took from you yesterday night?" Orochimaru asked hesitantly. Kabuto stared at his boss quizzically.

"Um, the only thing I recall you taking from me was my sper-"

"Yes, the sample!" Orochimaru cut him off quickly. Sasuke glanced between the two, his mind putting two and two together as he processed Kabuto's unfinished statement. When the implication hit him, he nearly gagged, and stepped back.

"Well, the thing is, your little clones decided to rebel against me, and destroyed the lab." Orochimaru finished, and crossed his arms. Kabuto frowned, and looked down.

"So, yesterday you just did that for my-" Orochimaru's glare cut him off, but Sasuke had heard enough. With a horrible retching sound, the Uchiha lost his lunch all over the wall. And the floor. And the ceiling.

Ha ha ha! Seriously, those two are too close for it to be a heterosexual partnership. Alright, back to Amestris... or is it? **Burn it to the Ground** by _Nickelback._ Oh Yeah!

* * *

In the raining village of Amegakure, a tall tower stood above all others. The tower itself was shrouded in legend: not many people entered it, and myths clouded all facts. There were myths saying that the great god Pein and his angel took shelter at the very summit. There were also smaller, less credible rumors that it also held the only toilet that Hanzo ever used. But let's go back to that first one.

The tower itself wasn't constructed of the normal brick and mortar, or from sturdy wood. No, by its appearance, the large building seemed to be made out of pipes and concrete, designed to outlast time itself. And at the top, just as the rumors said, the great lord Pein gazed over his realm with his sacred Rinnegan eyes. This day, however, was especially disturbing.

Pein was a man of medium build, not particularly tall or muscular. His blazing orange hair shot up in a similar manner to a certain Uzumaki. Six metal piercings ran along his nose, three on each side. Two others found themselves in his lower lip, poking down like fangs. Two bars were punched through his ears as well. All in all, it gave the leader of the Akatsuki an odd, surreal look. But the creepiest thing about him was his eyes: the gray, emotionless circles of the Rinnegan. He stood on the balcony of his tall tower, the rain falling just short of his feet. It felt different today. Pein blinked and looked down at the hardwood floor beneath him. Any minute now, Zetsu would be showing up to report about the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. But as he waited, the supposed god couldn't help but feel agitated. _Something is wrong,_ he decided. And if the sinking feeling in his gut was any indication, Zetsu would be bearing the news.

Sure enough, a patch of wood four meters from the leader's feet began to warp and change, contorting to take the form of the Akatsuki's second-greatest spy. Pein turned and stared as his floor turned green, and took the shape of an extremely large venus flytrap. As the plant wriggled up out of the floor, it opened slightly, revealing the dual-colored form of Zetsu. The man was odd looking, to say the least. Of course, that wasn't saying much for a guy half black, half white, and wearing a venus flytrap for a head. The spy fully formed his upper torso from the floor, then bowed in submission.

"Leader," he said submissively. Pein blinked, and nodded toward the door behind the plant man. The door slid open to reveal a blue-haired woman, clad in an Akatsuki cloak. She nodded back, and slipped into the room before shutting the door.

"Speak. What do you have to report?" Pein said imperiously. He was a god, after all.

Zetsu sat back up, but the expression on his white side told Pein that the news was bad, just as he had predicted. **"The fox brat is no longer in this world,"** Zetsu's black side said with a snarl. Pein's Rinnegan eyes widened slightly at the news, but Zetsu took no notice.

"Explain." Zetsu nodded, and his white side took over.

"After Deidara escaped momentarily, the jinchuriki became enraged, and called upon his demon's power." Zetsu said emotionlessly. "In an effort to save the others in their party, Kakashi Hatake opened a portal to stop the boy. The two got into an altercation, and were both sucked into the abyss." Zetsu finished. Pein showed no emotion to this mews, but inside he was seething. _Without the Kyuubi, we have no chance of harnessing enough power for peace._ He thought. He waved dismissively, and Zetsu quickly sank back into the floor. Once the man was gone, no trace of his presence remained. When he was gone, then woman walked up to the spot where he had been.

"Well? What do we do now?" She asked. Pein did not answer her. He walked away from the balcony and reached into his inside pocket on his cloak. He pulled out an old and battered notebook, and flipped it open. Inside was a list of sorts, with the heading 'How to Take Over the World'. The letters were scribbled and messy, showing the apparent age of the paper. Pein had taken it from Nagato's corpse long ago, along with his eyes. He looked at the top of the list, where the first and second options were marked out.

_Pray to Kami_ (marked out)

_Use politics_ (marked out and 'LOL' written next to it)

_Capture all 9 tailed beasts_

_Collect the Dragonballs_

_Capture a genie_

_Import weapons of mass destruction from Korea and China_

_Sit and cry_ (arrow drawn towards with 'WTF?' written alongside)

Pein really didn't feel like fighting any misguided Saiyans and their ridiculously long hair, so he had to stick with number three until there was no other option. Done consulting his list, he discreetly hid it from view, and turned toward the blue-haired woman.

"Zetsu said that the jinchuriki entered a portal," he stated. She waited for him to continue. "Considering it was Sharingan Kakashi who opened the portal, it is safe to assume that another Sharingan user could pass through it." He turned and looked back outside, into the pouring rain. "Send Itachi to the portal, and tell him to take Tobi with him. That way, we have a chance of retrieving the jinchuriki and getting that annoying pest out of our hair at the same time." The woman nodded, and turned to leave. "Oh, and Konan." The woman stopped, and turned to face her god.

"Yes?"

"Tell no one else in the organization about this." She smiled slightly, glad to see a human side to the great Pein. He wasn't comfortable letting the others know about their shortcomings.

"Of course, Yahiko." She walked out, and he didn't even think to correct her.

* * *

The two gunmen pointed their submachine guns down the rows of passengers, reveling in the feeling of superiority it gave them. These people backed their government in casual conversation, but shove a gun in their faces and they crumple like a house of cards. The men were both clad in tan pants, black shirts, and gray, open jackets. On the back of the jackets was the image of a black hand on a white background, palm up.

The two even had matching crew cuts. It was obvious they came from some organized terrorist or crime syndicate. But unfortunately for the two idiots standing the doorway between car eight and car nine on passenger train four-six-two-nine, there were passengers more dangerous than soldiers on this train.

The guy on the right never even knew what happened. The sand had crept up from the wall next to him and enveloped his head before he even saw it. The sand crushed his cranium with a horrible crack, and blood was sent everywhere. The man standing next to him cried out in terror, and began firing into the sand – and his dead buddy – in panic. The gunfire was thunderous in the enclosed train. The bullets passed through the sand harmlessly, slamming into the wall of the passenger car. His temporary distraction, however, was more than enough for Sakura to get up in his face, a chakra-enhanced punch heading for his nose. He looked right at her knuckles just before impact, and his eyeballs widened slightly just before they were removed from the train, attached to his body. She slammed her fist right into his face, shattering both his nose and the front part of his skull. The momentum carried him through the window behind him, and into the desert. With the concussion and the broken jaw, nose, and face, he would bleed out or die from the pain long before anyone found him. Of course, that could take weeks.

The other passengers stared in shock as Gaara calmly made his way up to where Sakura stood. Had they been dreaming? Or had that girl seriously just punched ax man _through_ a train? Sakura looked around at the other passengers and smiled sheepishly.

"I believe you overdid it a bit, Sakura." He said, humor coloring his voice as he looked through the window into the next car. If there were more gunmen, they would have definitely heard those shots. Sakura stuck her tongue out at the Kazekage, but he didn't notice. He looked up at the sign above the door. "This heads toward the back, where they came from. Still, we should secure the engine." He turned to Sakura, who had turned serious once more. "I'll take the rear, you go find out why we passed our designation." He said coolly. He was used to high-tension situations, and knew how to react accordingly. Sakura smiled and nodded, and they went their separate ways.

Gaara watched Sakura weave through the worrying passengers, then turned back to the door. He opened the door and continued into the next car. It was similar to the one he had just left, but all the civilians were crouching low in their seats. At the other end of the car stood two more gunmen, who were looking in his direction. They had heard the gunshots, and assumed that he had offed their buddies. That was technically untrue, since Sakura had killed one as well. _Details..._

"Take him down!" The thug on the left barked, and the man on the right aimed at Gaara. In the tight quarters, avoiding the shot was nigh impossible, especially with so many innocents around. Thinking quickly, Gaara thickened his sand shield on the front of his body, and braced for the shot. The man fired once, loud in the small car. Gaara cried out as if in pain and went down, a red splash shooting from his chest. He crumpled to the ground, and the civilians around him whimpered in terror. The man who had pulled the trigger grinned, and stalked forward toward the 'corpse'. He reached Gaara and looked down, grinning at his kill. His grin contorted into a frown when he noticed several oddities.

The boy was pale, but he didn't show the normal discoloration that came from a chest wound. The blood that ran down his chest looked weird, too. It was too gooey, almost as if it had been mixed with sand...

The man turned to yell at his partner. He stopped, however, when a huge amount of pressure clasped around his trigger hand and right leg. He gasped in surprise and looked down, only to see Gaara's green eyes glaring back at him, and the very sand used to kill his colleague wrapped around his leg. His own eyes went wide with fear, but he didn't see the gun in Gaara's hand. The red head had taken it from the corpse in the other car, and pointed the small handgun right between the man's eyes. _BANG!_ The man's head snapped back as the round punched right through his forehead. He stumbled back drunkenly, his body struggling to keep up with his scattered brains. He fell with a heavy thud, and allowed a clear line of sight on Gaara for his comrade. The man growled, and pointed his submachine gun at the red head. A staccato blast of gunfire ripped through the air, but it all impacted harmlessly on Gaara's shield. His clothes were shredded, and it felt like he was being punched in the gut, but he was otherwise unharmed.

Gaara stood up slowly, his lack of wounds apparent. The passengers whispered in hushed voices, and the lone gunman stumbled back in fear. He whimpered slightly, then turned and bolted, his submachine gun forgotten as it clattered to the floor. Gaara stalked forward ominously, trying to scare the man as much as possible. The more terrified he was, the easier it would be for Gaara to extract information from. The man tripped over a woman's leg and fell to the floor hard. He groggily shook his head, then turned to see Gaara standing right next to him. With exaggerated ease, the red-headed boy lifted the man up by the collar. The terrified rebel grasped at Gaara's hand in vain, his attempts to free himself futile. Gaara lifted the man up high, then brought him down face to face.

"Who do you work for, cretin?" He demanded darkly. Behind him, his sand swirled and danced as if in anticipation. The man froze in fear, trembled, then started to spill the beans.

"The Black Hand! I'm with the Black Hand organization! Please don't kill me!" The man wailed piteously. Gaara almost sweatdropped at the man's sudden forthcoming of information. Still, he wasn't one to pass up an opportunity.

"A name. Give me a name."

The man fidgeted in Gaara's grasp, then gave up. " Krauser. Our leader's name is Jack Krauser." The man said resignedly. Gaara mentally filed the name away for future use, then threw the man out the window without a second thought. The man's scream was drowned out by the sound of breaking glass and rushing wind. Gaara turned to look at the passengers, who were now out of their seats and looking at him with fearful expressions. Not sure what to do, he turned to face the civilians. Almost as one, they flinched back. He frowned at their reaction.

"Stay here. It isn't safe up ahead. If there are any of you that are injured, the car I just came from is secure." His words seemed to ease them, and several people clutching bandages stood up and moved into the previous car. That said, he turned and entered the next car. Gunshots and screams echoed as he cleared out the terrorists, two by two.

* * *

Sakura ducked under a seat as the second man fired his rifle once more. His colleague was struggling with a jammed submachine gun, making his rifle's fifteen round magazine exponentially more precious. He paused and sighted up on the seat Sakura had taken cover behind, his rifle shaking in his hands. Sakura reached up just above the seat and grabbed the bar used to stabilize standing travelers. Thinking she was going to hoist herself up, the man raised his rifle slightly. Instead, she snapped the bar off from its bearing. Both of the men's jaws dropped in shock. But she wasn't done. Sakura stood and heaved the heavy bar like a javelin. It zipped down the aisle at impossible speeds, before punching through the chest of the submachine gunner and protruding out of his back, killing him instantly. His companion jumped back in shock, his rifle clattering to the floor as he scrambled away from the corpse. Sakura took advantage of this and dashed forward, moving more quickly than the huddled passengers could follow. In a flash of pink and red, she was standing next to the prostrate man, fist cocked back for a devastating punch. The man screamed in fear, and brought up his hands in a futile attempt to shield himself. Her punch slammed into his chest, but the force plowed him through the floor and into the tracks beneath. The right side of the train jumped as he was crushed on the tracks.

Sakura sighed and looked down at where she had punched a boulder-sized hole in the floor. She normally wasn't this ruthless. But one look at the men and their guns, and she was instantly and insanely enraged. These men had hijacked the train with the sole intent of harming the innocent people inside. _Death is too good for monsters like them,_ she thought heatedly. With that in mind, she stomped toward the door leading to the engine. Presumably on the other side was the leader, along with any surviving train personnel. She would have to approach this with a certain amount of finesse. The windows to the engine were fastened shut earlier on in the ride when they had passed through a raining area. The only way she could get in through there would be to shatter the windows, a dangerous and time consuming tactic that would give the terrorists time to kill the conductor. She examined the hinges on the door curiously. _If I could hit it just right, it would curve inward and give me cover..._ she thought, until a voice from the other side distracted her.

"Oi, bitch!" A gruff, gravelly voice said from the other side. "If you even think of coming in here, the coal boys get it!" Sakura ignored the content of this taunt, and instead focused on its location. If her ears were right, the stupid buffoon was standing right in front of the door.

"Stow it, dumbass!" She yelled, and charged chakra into her fist. With a mighty heave, she hit the door dead center, just under the one-way glass. Her arm punched through, and she grabbed the man by the collar. He nearly squealed in fright, and she sadistically drew her hand back, slamming his face into the door. She pushed forward and pulled him again, slamming him into the door once more. The man went slack in her grip, and she dropped his unconscious body. She grasped the hole with both hands, protected by her gloves, and literally tore the door in two. The widening wound in the door gave her a glimpse of the control booth: several levers sat on a booth next to the locked window, likely the brakes and acceleration. In the corner were two coal men, tied up and unconscious. Lying on the ground right in front of her was the single guard for the locomotive. His head was bloodied, a sign of her rather rough incapacitation technique. But still, he had insulted her. As far as Sakura was concerned, he got what he deserved. _Serves him right._

Sakura dusted of her hands and wrenched off the rest of the door. The loud scraping noise woke one of the coal men, who looked around groggily. He looked down at the floor to see the unmoving terrorist that had just threatened his life minutes earlier. He became more attentive, and looked up with hope to get a glimpse of his savior. His look of hope turned to one of comedic shock when he saw a small petite woman hefting two halves of a broken door like they were plates. Sakura tried to placate the man and smiled sweetly, tossing the door halves aside and onto the unconscious gunman. The coal finally snapped out of his shocked paralysis and nudged his buddy.

"Hey, Jason! Jason!" He said loudly. The bald man behind him stirred, then moaned groggily. He nudged harder, and Sakura stepped closer to cut the ropes. "Jason, that retard's out! Wake up, man!"

Sakura drew her razor sharp knife out and quickly sliced through the ropes, freeing the two men. Jason slumped forward, and his buddy turned around to support him. The man shook Jason again, and he finally came to somewhat. Jason opened his eyes groggily, and looked around. As he did, Sakura caught sight of a large, purplish bruise on his right temple. Odds were it came from the blow that had originally knocked him out. Blunt trauma so close to the temple was dangerous; a little closer to his face with a little more force would have killed him instantly. As it was, he appeared to have a mild concussion. Sakura stowed her knife and drew out her flashlight, which she pointed into Jason's bleary eyes.

The man blinked and squinted, shying away from the bright light that was so mercilessly shoved into his eyes. Sakura grabbed his head firmly and shined the light into his eyes. When both pupils contracted accordingly, she sighed in relief and stowed the flashlight. The man shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his head.

"What hit me?" He asked as he grasped his head. Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled it away from the wound gently. When she let go, he looked up at her in confusion.

"You were hit by that gunman over there," Sakura explained slowly, "and you probably have a concussion. So I just need to ask you a few questions." The man nodded, glancing over at the guy with the busted face. "Okay, what's your name?" Sakura asked as she pulled out some bandages.

"Jason Voorhees." The bald man said. Sakura nodded to herself. That meant he still had basic recollection.

"Alright," she said, and wrapped several layers of bandages around his head, "and who is your buddy over here?" Jason looked over at the man who had been tied up with him.

"Fred Kruger, the clumsiest oaf on the rails." The man said, smiling slightly as Freddy rolled his eyes. Sakura smiled as well. It meant that, aside from the bruise and a little disorientation, Jason was fine. That taken care of, she slowly helped him up. Freddy stood as well, and together they helped him to a seat in the car behind them.

When the first class passengers peeked out of their berths to see two people bringing a wounded man through, they didn't know what to do. But when it became clear that the train was mostly secure, they helped in any way they could. An aging man in a brown suit helped Jason onto the bed in his berth. He assured Sakura and Freddy that the man would be fine, and the two went back up to the locomotive.

When they reached the engine, Freddy began pulling levers and such, and the train began vibrating as it slowed down. Sakura clinged to the wall as the shaking grew worse. She was almost thrown off her feet when the train lurched to a stop, and looked up at Freddy with a glare. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"The old gal always stopped suddenly," he explained nervously. That said, he began preparations to take the train back to Central. They hadn't traveled far, maybe three miles, so the tracks would probably still be clear. When he told Sakura this, she patted him on the back and made her way back toward the rear of the train to assist Gaara.

She went through all the cars, both checking for remaining terrorists and reassuring the frightened passengers. She also noticed bullet holes, open windows and gaping holes in the walls, similar to how the cars she had cleared looked. _We may have saved the civilians,_ she thought with a slight sweatdrop, _but we destroyed this train._ Still, lives came first. When she reached the last car, she found Gaara calmly asking a man questions. The man was attached to the ceiling by sand, and seemed to be scared shitless. When she walked in, Gaara looked out the window at the approaching city.

"We haven't been here long, but we've already done some good." He said in his usual monotonous voice. Sakura grinned, then looked up at Gaara's captive.

"What has he told you so far?" She asked, and poked the man in the forehead. The terrorist cringed and drew back as far as the sand would allow. Gaara had really done a number on him.

"They are called the Black Hand, apparently." Gaara said with a small amount of disdain. "They boarded this train earlier and dropped off some men with guns in Central. After that, the guns came out. They were planning on killing everyone on the train to spite the government." Gaara said with a glare sent towards the captive. The Black Hand gunman looked about ready to start crying. That stirred Gaara's memory. "Oh, and he _really_ wants his mommy." That lightened the mood a bit.

Sakura smirked at the hanging man, then looked out the window once more. Freddy had really poured on the speed, so they were going to arrive at Central with the next five minutes or so. And that meant crowds.

"Gaara," she said as she headed toward the door, "you might want to go find some actual rope to tie this guy up with. Handing him over to the authorities with _sand_ might be a bit suspicious." And with that, she walked out.

Gaara frowned and looked around the storage car. There were several cables, and it wouldn't take much effort to string the guy up in his current state. The man even seemed slightly relieved when he heard that Sakura wanted him tied up. I mean, with a moderately attractive woman asking him to tie the guy up, that meant he wasn't going to die, right?

"Don't get cocky up there," Gaara said as the train began to slow. "She was merely assuming I'm not going to kill you." That, coupled with all the blood rushing to his head, made the terrorist faint on the spot. Gaara allowed a small smile to form, and used his sand to tie up the man snugly. "I still got it."

* * *

Kakashi and Naruto watched the waitress go by for the third time, and Naruto was secretly plotting evil. The woman had gotten their orders, but twenty minutes had passed and they hadn't even gotten their drinks! It was an outrage! Kakashi glared a hole into the waitress' back as she waited on other people. When she passed by again, he made an exaggerated show of looking at a watch that didn't even exist. If she got the picture, she didn't show it.

"C'mon, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto urged quietly. "Just let me trip her. Just once. Please." Even though he was certain that it would make him feel better, Kakashi shook his head. Tripping the waitress would be admitting defeat. Under the table, Kyuubi snickered at their dilemma. Although, as he watched the busty woman walk by them _again_, he began thinking that a grope wouldn't be out of the question. Keeping his eager hands where they belonged, he turned to the television hanging over Naruto's head. With so many people talking in the restaurant, it was impossible to hear the news reporter. But he prided himself in being one of the few ninja that could read lips. The woman had been talking about a train jacking that had occurred earlier that day. She spoke of how two people, both oddly dressed, had either killed or incapacitated seventeen gunmen in close quarters. She also said that this incident, coupled with a similar hijacking a few months earlier, would make a complete overhaul for train security an obvious choice for the military. Kakashi snorted at that. _I've been observing this government for quite a while, and I don't see change coming about very quickly._ He thought with a shrug. The waitress finally brought out their sodas, but surprised them by appearing with the food as well. Kakashi looked down at his steak with a small sigh. Sure, the food here was great, but he was starting to miss the ramen and dango places back home. _Home._ That made him think of the storage scrolls he was building chakra in. So far, they had enough for a tail of the Kyuubi's chakra, just for a rough estimate. However, the effort had drained both he and Naruto for a whole day. So if they were to go every day, nonstop, it would take them more than a week to make a passage back to the Elemental Nations possible. _And if one of those things gets torn or mishandled, we lose half of the stockpiled energy,_ he thought as he picked up his silverware. As Naruto eagerly dug into his sandwich, or _hamburger_, Kakashi discreetly glanced at the boy's eyes. Sure enough, the blue eyes were gone. In their place were the crimson orbs of the demon. He could feel no malice coming from the boy, but he still had a feral look to him. His whisker marks were thicker, and his hair looked more like the hackles of a wild animal. He could now look fierce if he wore his fanged mask. _With the whole 'Giant gate of doom' thing, did it separate those two,_ Kakashi thought as he looked down at the table, where Kyuubi rested underneath, _or push them closer together?_ Still intrigued, he shook his head and looked back down at his plate. With food at hand, Kakashi shunted the thoughts of seals and homesickness to the back of his mind, and cut a slice from the rather large well done steak. He looked up at Naruto to see if the blonde was watching, but the boy was too busy wolfing down a hamburger to notice. Quick as the Yellow Flash, Kakashi lowered his mask, bit of the slice of steak, and replaced it without anyone even noticing. He savored the hickory taste of the meat, then swallowed it. The spices on the steak proved a bit too spicy, however, and he grabbed his glass of soda. He raised to his mask and tipped it back, eying the television while he drank. A flash of pink caught his interest. He looked closer, and saw the interview of the people who had saved the train. _Sakura? Gaara?_ Kakashi was so surprised, he spit out his drink. The spray covered Naruto completely, soaking him with carbonated beverage.

"Aw, COME ON! Really, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked angrily, grabbing his hand towel and wiping his drooping hair in hopes of getting the sticky soda out. Kakashi didn't respond, but pointed at the TV. Naruto turned to look, and was just as surprised as his teacher. He turned around so quickly, Kyuubi was almost squished under his feet.

"How did they get here?" He asked incredulously. "It took nine tails of chakra to get us here! Did they sacrifice all of the Akatsuki to come through?" Kakashi didn't have an answer. He just stared at the television. Judging by the light, the report had been made an hour or so ago. That meant that Gaara and Sakura would still be in the city, at the very least. Naruto raised his glass to his lips, only to remember he was still covered in soda. He muttered under his breath and grabbed the towel again. While he vigorously rubbed his face to get carbonated beverage off of his whiskers, Kyuubi began scratching at Kakashi's leg. Perplexed, Kakashi looked down at the miniature demon (it still felt weird to be so familiar with the being that nearly destroyed Konoha). The fox yipped lowly, then looked over toward the door, where the hostess was trying to find a table for two people. And finally, he saw what had interested the Kyuubi so much.

* * *

Sakura looked around the street again, trying to find the restaurant. After saving the train, the local authorities had been generous enough to give her and Gaara free food at a local bar and grill. Unfortunately, the coupons hadn't come up with directions. So here she was, leading Gaara around by the hand as she tried to find it. Gaara had used the last of his money to pay for their train tickets, so free food was something worth walking around for forty-five minutes. She turned a corner, still jogging at a brisk pace. Gaara, however, was huffing and puffing slightly. Though he was a shinobi, and the Kazekage at that, his battle strategy involved less running around and more 'I'll stand here while my sand squishes you'. In short, he fought by looking awesome. So jogging for forty-five minutes straight was starting to get slightly winded.

Sakura looked over at the other side of the street, and cried out in victory when she found the name of the grill, hanging over two double doors. Apparently, earning free eats at this place was prestigious, as it looked like a four star eatery.

"Come on, Gaara! I'm starving!" She said playfully. The Kazekage didn't respond, but rolled his eyes as he hauled him to the door. _Fuck food,_ he thought grumpily, _I just want a damn chair._ She pulled open the glass door and dashed inside, slamming Gaara into the wall in the process. The dazed Kazekage was hauled right up the the hostess' lectern, where the young brunette standing there was given a shock by the extremely hungry Sakura.

"Hello!" The cheerful kunoichi said with a smile. "I've got a coupon here for a free meal from this place, and I need a seat _fast_!" Sakura pulled out said slip of paper, and shook the limp Sabaku no Gaara's hand in emphasis. She wasn't trying to be rude,but boy if she wasn't hungry!

"Erm... well, do you mind if you sit with some other people?" The hostess asked nervously. Sakura shook her head quickly, and the woman grabbed two menus and gestured toward the dining room. "Right this way, ma'am." She said with a sheepish smile. Sakura followed as the woman moved quickly through the carpeted establishment, dragging poor Gaara behind her. When they reached an area with seats, Sakura came to appreciate this place's reputation. Every seat was either occupied by a suited bureaucrat or well dressed soldier. She didn't see a pair of seats open at many tables, and no table was unoccupied. The hostess, however, knew the seating arrangements better, and pointed out a table towards the back, underneath a rather large television. Two soldiers in dark blue uniforms sat there, still waiting for their meal. One of them had gravity defying silver hair, extremely similar to Kakashi's hair. His companion she couldn't see, because he was wiping his face with a hand towel. Sakura briefly considered the chances of Kakashi and Naruto being in the same restaurant, but immediately discarded the idea. The chances of those two being here were slim to none.

"Will those two soldiers be okay? They seem to be pretty nice people." The hostess asked hesitantly. Instead of answering, Sakura just pulled Gaara over to the table, keeping him off balance once more. She reached the table and plopped poor Gaara into one of the two empty chairs, then turned to look at the silver-haired soldier.

"Hello!" She said cheerfully. "My name's Sakura Haruno. Do you mind if we sit here..." she looked at the man's face and froze, her smile widening. "Kakashi?" Her jounin sensei smiled under his mask.  
"Hello, Sakura. I see you're helping out the local population as well." He said amiably. On the outside, he appeared calm. But on the inside, he was panicking. With the current situation of Taskforce Omega, both Gaara (whom he now recognized the exhausted young man next to him as) and Sakura were likely to be drafted into the military like he and Naruto were. While it would be nice to have more familiar faces around, it would be dragging them into what had the makings of a civil war. But still, that could wait.

"Hey, I heard Sakura!" The oblivious blonde sitting across from him said loudly. Sakura turned to look at the other soldier sitting at the table, and was shocked to see Naruto tearing the towel off of his face, a hopeful expression clear on his features. His face brightened even more when his eyes locked on Sakura. Sakura ran around Gaara and hugged the blonde, happy to see him once again. The two embraced each other for a few seconds, then awkwardly released, looking away with blushes on their face. Sakura took the other empty seat, across from Gaara and on Kakashi's right. Just then, the waitress came of and asked them for their order. Gaara just pointed at Sakura, who began to actually look at the menu. Kakashi looked over at the tired Kazekage, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"So, I take it she wore you out, eh?" He asked with a grin. Gaara just glared at him.

* * *

"This is it." Itachi said emotionlessly. Of course, lack of emotion with Itachi was like water with fish: it just went together. He stood up from his crouch and stared into the black depths of the abyss, pondering Kakashi's use of the Mangekyo Sharingan. _The man cared for Naruto,_ Itachi thought, _so it must have been a truly dire situation for him to use the Mangekyo. I can only hope they are alright..._Frowning, he turned to look at his partner.

Tobi, the mask-wearing newbie to the Akatsuki, was eager examining a tree branch. He looked closely at it, poking it in several places.

"Hey, Itachi." He asked, his child-like voice ringing out over the destroyed clearing. "Do you think mister Zetsu could fit in a tree branch this big?" Normally, Deidara or Sasori would roll their eyes and scold the odd man, but Itachi knew better. Tobi was telling him that Zetsu was watching them, even now. _Before the massacre, I never took my uncle as a subtle one._ Itachi mused as he watched Tobi jump up and down on said branch. _But it seems there's more to him than meets the eye._ A loud crack told Itachi that the branch had been broken off, and he turned to see Tobi lying on the ground, rubbing his head.

"Ow."

Itachi 'Hn'ed and turned to look back at the portal. If Kakashi had really used the Mangekyo, then they really could be dead. All indicators about 'dark swirling vortexes' pointed to instantaneous demise. Still, the Kazekage and their pink-haired teammate had jumped in, so maybe they knew they could survive the ordeal. He would have gone through all kinds of scientific reasoning, had the very branch Tobi had been jumping on not smacked him in the back of the head, throwing him into the portal. With a front hand spring, Tobi followed as well, yelling, "WHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Itachi fell face first onto a white surface, grunting as his nose was rammed into the ground. He groaned and rubbed it, only to have his face slammed into the ground once more by the branch that had pushed him in. He growled in anger and rolled to the side, just when Tobi came hurtling in. The masked moron looked around, and had to say he was quite surprised. The all white surroundings, except for the giant foreboding dark gate of doom, were very boring. He didn't even duck as the branch he had pelted Itachi with passed through his head. The annoyed teenager almost swung again, but he realized how futile it was. If Tobi didn't want to be hit, he wouldn't be hit. Still, he felt wronged. In his persistent annoyance, the Uchiha threw the branch down, snapping it in half as he did so.

"OW!" A voice exuded from the branch. Itachi jumped slightly. The very branch Tobi had used to bludgeon him with had in fact contained Zetsu. Apparently, Tobi was even better than Itachi had thought. In a disturbing amount of contorting, color changing, and weird noises that I'm going to think about, Zetsu appeared... or at least, his upper torso. Apparently, separating him from the rest of his body was kinda permanent.

**"You asshole! Why did you do that?"** The plant man complained acidly, trying to hop over to get the other half of the branch. Just to be an ass, Itachi picked up the branch piece and held it above his head. The venus flytrap just glared.

"Why did you follow us, Zetsu?" Itachi asked, danger evident in both his look and tone. Zetsu sneered.

"Leader always suspected you, killer of your own clan. If you could wipe out your family, what's stopping you from killing us as well?" Zetsu asked sardonically. Itachi cocked his head at this reasoning. It wasn't too far off the mark, but he was _spying_, not killing. Still, Zetsu had to go. With ease, Itachi snapped the branch once more and burned the two pieces in his hand with an E-ranked fire jutsu. Zetsu growled at the destruction of his body.

**"I'm just a clone,** you traitor! If you think taking** me out will have any effect, you've** got another thing coming!" Zetsu said frantically. He tried to sink into the ground as usual, but found that he could not. He strained, and crouched slightly (and that's hard to do when it's just a torso), but to no avail. He looked up at Itachi and smiled sheepishly.

"I guess after that, asking for help would not be wise." He said nervously. Itachi didn't respond. Zetsu watched the Uchiha step back a few feet, unsure of his next move. Behind him, Tobi ran to line up with the Gate, his arms above his head and parallel to each other. Itachi nodded, then took a running start. Zetsu finally caught on, and his demeanor changed dramatically.

"What are you doing? Stop! **No! DON'T DO IT!** AAAAAAAAAaaaahhhh..." He kept yelling, even when Itachi's kick sent him soaring between Tobi's arms and towards the dark gate. Just when it looked like he would slam up against the door, however, the Gate opened inward, and Zetsu was snatched out of the air by four or five black hands. Itachi's eyebrows rose in mild surprise when the plant man screamed, and was pulled into the Gate. With a deep rumble, the gate shut slowly, and the odd designs that I've already described appeared before Itachi's eyes.

"Goal! Nice kick, Itachi." Tobi said eagerly, jumping up and down like a cheerleader. Itachi brushed off his jacket nonchalantly, but it was the closest thing to a thumbs up as anyone could get from him. The two Akatsuki member walked up to the gate curiously, wondering if it would snap open and attempt to devour them as well. This time, it opened outwardly, and no hands emerged. Instead, a mysterious shape, humanoid in appearance, emerged. It was white, but that was about the only adjective that could describe it. It was, in a word, blank. As it approached them, however, it began to change. It's hair began to change, and it seemed to grow a cloak. When it stood within fifteen meters of the two Akatsuki members, it had the exact silhouette of Itachi. It still remained white, but it's hair, facial features, clothing, and eyes were all white. _Intriguing._ Itachi thought. He studied the figure again, but it interrupted him.

"That sacrifice was unnecessary, but welcome." It even had Itachi's voice. Tobi stepped a little closer to Itachi.

"Sacrifice? So I take it you need something to allow us to pass?" Itachi said calmly. It had said the sacrifice was unnecessary, so perhaps it would allow them to pass.

"Yes, most unnecessary. Fortunately, this means I can rectify several things with you, child. This _Zetsu_ was composed of many different elements, and I can mold them to cure you of that disease you have done so well as to hide." The doppleganger said with a smirk most unlike Itachi. That got the clan killer's attention. _It can cure me? Just because I sacrificed Zetsu's clone?_ He was surprised, to say the least.

"I think that would be an excellent idea," he said with a nod. "but I am also looking for a blonde teenager who has passed this way." This information sent a ripple across the surface of the figure, as if its very form were made of water.

"Yes, he is the reason I am allowing you two passage. His pet fox gave up quite a bit of energy. Energy I can use to sustain myself for quite a while. You will find him on the other side." The copy said with another smirk.

"Tobi wants to go now!" I really don't need to tell you who said that, do I? The masked shinobi ran towards the gate, only to run into an invisible barrier of some sort. He slammed into the force field like a wall, then fell backwards. "Ow."

The doppleganger looked down at him, then back at Itachi. "Prepare yourself, Itachi Uchiha." It said gravely. Before Itachi could blink, the doppleganger was directly in front of him, its hand in front of his face. All of a sudden, a great pain welled up behind his eyes. He gritted his teeth in pain, but he couldn't close his eyes; the white imposter was holding them open somehow. The pain traveled through his eyes, and then faded away. As he watched, a cloud of black dust came from his eyes, and disappeared into the figure's hand. He gasped, and blinked rapidly. The doppleganger disappeared, and reappeared in its previous spot. Itachi reached up slowly and touched his face, just under his eyes. He didn't feel any different, but he had just taken his medicine. If what the clone had said was true, he probably wouldn't need it ever again. Relief briefly spread across Itachi's face, before it was quickly covered by his emotionless mask.

Tobi groaned, and sat up, shaking his head. He looked around, then poked where the invisible barrier had been. He met no resistance, and stood up.

"Does this mean we can go now?" He asked childishly. Itachi and his white counterpart both rolled their eyes, then looked at each other once more.

"For what it's worth, Itachi Uchiha, good luck." The white copy said, before fading away. Itachi just nodded. With that said, he walked forward into the dark. Tobi dashed in right behind him, just before the Gate closed again.

When they fell from the sky like the others had, both Itachi and Tobi had expected to have to search for a while before finding Naruto. They really didn't know what to expect on the other side of this mysterious Gate. When they had appeared above a city, it had surprised them both. But when they landed on top of a moving train, the surprises got even more interesting. Itachi landed on top of Tobi, who almost phased through the train. The two shook their heads in unison, and Itachi looked down below for anything interesting. A group of men jumped out of the train quickly, each holding several bags of luggage. They were all wearing jackets with a black hand embroidered into it, and that piqued Itachi's interest. As they faded into the distance, Itachi decided to follow their example. Without waiting for his companion to recuperate, Itachi shoved Tobi off the side, then rolled right behind him. The world spun as he rolled, but Itachi could have sworn he saw a familiar flash of pink. The impact of dirt and rock snapped him out of his observations, and he rolled to lessen the impact. When he came to a stop, Itachi shook his head to rid himself of the dizziness. He stood up and brushed off his coat, then looked around. All around, he saw sparse vegetation, a few trees in the distance, and what looked like prairie. He looked behind him, and saw Tobi cupping his face. Several ceramic chunks of orange fell from between his fingers, and he seemed to be annoyed.

"Dammit Itachi, you broke my mask!" Tobi said angrily. Itachi shrugged, then walked back over to the downed Akatsuki member.

"Zetsu isn't following us anymore Uncle, so I don't see why you should wear it." Itachi said coolly. Tobi lowered his hands, cupping the shattered mask to keep it from breaking even more. He revealed a pair of orange goggles, though the left side was also covered by an eyepatch. Carefully storing the pieces of of mask inside his cloak, Obito Uchiha stood and glared at his nephew.

"I seriously don't know how Mikoto dealt with you, Itachi! Your so cold, Kakashi would freeze around you!" The man said while shaking his fist. Itachi shrugged again, then pointed toward the city in the distance.

"I suggest we start moving towards civilization." He said dully. Obito rolled his eye, then turned and started walking, his arms crossed in an annoyed manner. Itachi smirked at his uncle's antics, and followed along.

* * *

For some reason, I like Obito better than mean ol' Madara. So he's Tobi here. If that puts off any of you, I'm sorry. But the cheerful klutz should never be the one taking over the world. It's just not right. All the shinobi have entered Amestris, so now it gets interesting! Review please!


	9. Chapter 9

Now that I've done my duty to the Bloodstained Hurricane fans, it's time to get back to my favorite little project. I had a reviewer point out my comment on Naruto's changes, but he didn't really specify his point. In response I'll give a general explanation: in passing through the Gate, Naruto's seal was altered to the point where Kyuubi is allowed outside of his body, and given a body of his own. The chakra interaction has also been changed slightly as well. Since the fox has lost a tremendous amount of chakra (and it formerly being composed of chakra), it must slowly regenerate said energy. But due to unforeseen meddling from the Gate, half of everything the fox generates goes to Naruto. Since Naruto is somewhat used to the stuff, it didn't affect him too much at first. But with the fox growing in strength, and he as well, it looks like he's going to be suffering some affects while his chakra coils adapt to accommodate the influx of so much evil chakra. Now that I've fully revealed the sorry state of my priorities, it's time to just get the fuck to the story already. **Black Betty** by _Ram Jam._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Mustang was secretly wishing that Hawkeye had possessed the foresight to bring the extra strength aspirin today as he looked at Kakashi's 'new recruits'. It was one thing that they were the heroes from the train – he would have approached them with recruitment sooner or later anyway – but that they were from Kakashi and Naruto's world? That beat everything he'd heard that day. Of course, the girl seemed pretty out of place, what with her natural pink hair (he still doubted that story) and crazy strength (didn't doubt that one, though), she was less normal than Alphonse Elric. The red head, however, was another story. The female, he could get a decent read on, as far as temper and intelligence were concerned. But with the young man standing before him with his arms crossed, figuring him out without asking questions was like climbing a wall made of glass: you _might_ be able to do it, but it would take much more skill and preparation than Mustang currently had. He stared into the black ringed eyes of Gaara of the Desert, and he decided that asking wasn't too much.

"So, what position did you hold before you decided to dive after our blonde friend over there?" Mustang asked wearily, leaning back in his chair. Gaara's indifferent look didn't change, and when he spoke, even his voice was kept level and monotone.

"Before I entered this realm, and even now, I held the title of Kazekage, the leader of the Village Hidden in the Sand." Gaara said in his usual monotonous drawl. He didn't uncross his arms, a defensive gesture if there ever was one. Still, his reply didn't give Mustang much to go on. All he knew was that Gaara was a leader. So, he had to delve deeper into the world that these warriors had come from in order to figure out their skills.

"How many people were in your village? How many shinobi did you command?" Mustang tried. If he could find out what kind of number Gaara was used to, he could better place the young man among the ranks of the army. Gaara paused and looked down in thought, as it was hard to guess the number of his people. Mustang predicted that the number would be in the high fifties, since it was a village that they were talking about. _I mean, it can't be the size of a city..._ He thought.

"The last census told of twelve thousand combat ready shinobi, with a civilian population of seven thousand." Gaara said with a shrug. Mustang's eyebrows rose quite a bit at that information. That meant that Gaara had more administrative experience than a military governor. _And that kind of experience is definitely a perk._ Mustang glanced over at Lt. Hawkeye, and was pleased to see that he wasn't the only one surprised. This did, however, present a problem. _If this kid is anywhere near as experienced as he looks, he may be able to see through my machinations,_ Mustang thought grimly. _I could probably still cover for him like I do with the Elrics, but it would be much harder._ Still, he was also a combatant, one that Kakashi had assured him would easily wipe out a battalion or more. That kind of power would put Gaara in the running for several investigations that Mustang would rather not see.

"Well, that's one helluva resume there." Mustang said with a small smile. Gaara did not return it, but then again, he looked like someone who smiled once a year. He gestured toward the door with his pen, and Hawkeye moved to open it. "Gaara, Sakura, could you two please wait outside while I speak with your colleagues?" It may have sounded polite, but the two knew an order when we saw one. With nods to Kakashi and Naruto, the two new arrivals turned and walked out the door, and Hawkeye closed it behind them.

"Now then," Mustang said and stood up. "their arrival has complicated several things, but I'll tell you what you were to hear anyway." Kakashi and Naruto exchanged a look, then looked back at Mustang, though Kakashi's gaze lingered on Naruto's eyes and whiskers. His eyes were now permanently red, and it seemed that his whiskers wrapping around to meet his ears. Still, it wasn't something to address right at the moment.

"Because of a sudden influx in rebel activity, I'm pulling you guys and the Investigation Division off of the Homunculi cases for now." Mustang said with a frown, and turned away from them. That got their attention. After putting a revolver round into one's head, then coming back to find that she'd shaken it off, stretched, and high-tailed it out of there, Kakashi had assumed that they would have been focusing _more _on the case, not pulled off completely.

"Uh, what are we being assigned to now?" Kakashi asked tentatively. Naruto didn't say anything, but decided to see if he could find Kyuubi's new hiding spot from where he stood. After his encounter with Hawkeye, the fox had taken to hiding every time they entered Mustang's office.

"Your friends were among the first to encounter them, but there seems to be a growing terrorist sect known as the Black Hand." Mustang said, his back still to the two shinobi. "According to what Gaara told the men who took the train captives into custody, the organization is headed by a man named Jack Krauser." Mustang turned and pulled a folder from his desk. The folder opened to reveal a stack of papers next to what looked like a military ID. The name at the top of the papers read 'Jack Krauser', and the picture on the ID showed a man with a scowl on his face, and a massive scar running from above his left eye down to his chin, crossing his lips. Several smaller scars ran up from the right side of his mouth, telling a life of abnormal struggle.

"A former commando under the command of General Basque Grand during the Ishbal Rebellion, Krauser led the attack to take out key targets among the Ishbal rebels in order to shorten the conflict." Mustang said coldly. "However, a complication came up during the mission, one that gave Krauser the scars you see now. After that, he and several other commandos broke off from the military and disappeared without a trace. We thought he was dead or had left the country, but now he has been revealed as the leader of the Black Hand." Mustang flipped the page over, and it showed Krauser's qualifications. All seventy of them. _Geez. This guy's got everything from knife combat to demolition and heavy firearms. He's a Jack of all trades, and master of most._ Kakashi thought with an appreciative whistle as his eyes ran down the list.

"Now, I'd normally finish the current assignment before putting you on another one, but the Fuhrer has insisted that we put all of our focus on this one." Mustang said with in an odd tone. Kakashi scrutinized Mustang's expression as he said this. The Colonel's teeth were bared slightly, and his eyes were narrowed. _He's suspicious of the Fuhrer._ Kakashi thought. That really put them in a bind. If the Fuhrer himself was against them, however secretly, they were in for some serious trouble. But that was for Mustang to figure out; between Mustang and Hughes, Kakashi knew that they could uncover anything they tried to. And even though he'd only known them for a while, he trusted them.

"I've assigned Omega to the Black Hand case already. Take those two outside wherever you go, _do not_ leave them here." Mustang said tersely, his eyes meeting Kakashi's. "Are we clear?" Kakashi nodded slowly, and saluted. Naruto did the same, and the two turned to leave. Right when the door opened, a streak of crimson followed them out. Mustang watched them go, then turned to his blonde adjutant.

"Well?"

She sighed, then looked out the window. "Between those guys and the Elrics," she said, "I'd say you'll find the answer to whatever your looking for." She turned and gave him a stony stare. "I'm just not sure you're going to like what you find." He cocked his head at her words. Not sure he'd like what he found? He swiveled in his chair and faced the window as well, watching the lights of cars go past the base. Maybe that was how it was going to turn out. But as he glanced toward his adjutant, he hoped that he'd live through it, regardless of how it looked.

* * *

On the crowded street in Central, Itachi glanced around at the civilians surrounding he and his uncle. As he moved through the crowd, he struggled to sense any negative emotion directed toward them from the commoners. And for the first time in a long time, he could detect no animosity from the civilians. He looked down at his Akatsuki cloak, and figured that _any_ government would have made their appearances common knowledge. Yet not one person stared at them beyond the usual 'what, are you selling watches?' look. He turned and looked back at his uncle, who was noisily chewing on a strip of jerky that he had gotten from a store. How he had purchased it, Itachi had no idea, but Obito Uchiha had done crazier things. Like survive a cave-in, for one.

"Uncle," Itachi asked as he continued to scan the area, "why are these people ignoring us?" He just could grasp why they weren't running in fear from the famed Murderer of the Uchiha. Obito bit off another piece of jerky, chewed it for a bit, then swallowed it.

"They've obviously never heard of us. Not even the soldiers are trying to arrest us. If we don't act like criminals, they won't think we're criminals. So just chill out, and let's see if we can find Mr. Rules and his little student." Obito said nonchalantly, and bit into another strip of jerky. The man he was referring to was obviously Kakashi, but Itachi didn't bother to question the nickname. His uncle was eccentric, to say the least, and sometimes it was better to just leave it be.

They approached an inn, one that seemed to need some business by the looks of it. Several rooms on the upper floors had torn blinds, and the blue paint on the front was flecked and faded in several places. The door also seemed a little beat up and worn, but the inn was open, judging by the occasional patron to pass through the door every now and then. Itachi reached into his pocket and pulled out several wallets. He had been pick-pocketing ever since they'd entered the city, and he had acquired quite a bit of the local currency. He reasoned that there was enough for at least a few nights, and led his uncle into the hotel.

The main lobby was just about how he expected it: a wooden bar acting as a front desk, with a weary middle-aged woman with blonde hair streaked with gray standing behind it and going over some books. The floor was hard wood, etched with age by the feet of so many customers that had come in over the years. The boards underneath the weathered finish creaked as he stepped through the front door, rousing the woman from her calculations. She looked up with an automatic smile, one born from years of practice and necessity.

"Hello, gentlemen," she said cheerfully, and waved them over. "How may I help you today?" Itachi looked over at his uncle, who had finished his jerky. Obito shrugged, and pushed past his emotionless nephew. He was more charismatic than Itachi, anyway.

"Yes, we were looking for a place to stay for a few days. We're here to find several of our friends, so we only need a night or two at best." Obito said easily, as he leaned onto the counter in a relaxed manner. The woman's cheerful smile brightened, erasing a few wrinkles, and she turned to a blank page in her book.

"Well, it's one hundred and fifty cins a night, and we provide breakfast every morning and dinner every night. We also clean the rooms whenever you leave, so no need to worry about cleaning up. Is that alright with you?" She asked, inking her pen and preparing to jot down their information. With a subtle nod from Obito, Itachi handed his uncle four hundred and fifty cins, judging by the numbers on the paper. The woman took the money and stashed it under the desk in some safe or strongbox of some kind, then wrote down the amount she had received.

"Alright, and under what name will you be renting the room?" She asked. Obito glanced back at Itachi, then shrugged.

"Uchiha." The woman paused at hearing the unusual name, but put it down in the book all the same. She smiled at Obito again and handed him a small bronze key with the number 4 imprinted on the neck.

"Head up those stairs to the right, and your room will be the second on your left." She said, and went back to checking her records. Obito nodded and headed up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Itachi cocked a brow at his uncle's antics, but followed nonetheless, albeit more slowly than his eccentric relative.

When he reached the upstairs, he saw that the door to room four was already open, and Obito was presumably inside. He walked across the hall and turned to look into the room.

The room was to be expected. A small bathroom was on his immediate right, the door closed and the light on. Itachi assumed that Obito was in there, doing Kami knew what. In the interior of the room were two queen-sized beds, their white sheets covered by tan comforters. In between the two beds was a bedside table, where a phone sat unused. A closet was across from the left most bed, and a dresser with a small television sat next to it. The walls were painted a neutral tan color, and Itachi had to admit that it definitely felt... homey. He could here his uncle messing around with what sounded like his goggles, and he knocked lightly on the door.

"Uncle?"

Obito did not stop his tinkering, but the sound lessened considerably. Rolling his eyes, Itachi walked over to the nearest bed and opened his robe. Inside, partly sewn into the lining, was a travel bag that held a change of clothes, his toiletries, and several kunai and shuriken, as well as a box of pocky. Despite many rumors to the contrary, Itachi was obsessed with pocky. He tried to carry it with him wherever he went, as it helped him calm his nerves, and thus retain his emotionless appearance. He withdrew a simple chocolate stick from the box, and began to chew as he mulled over the situation.

He started with what he knew. He knew that Naruto and Kakashi had, at one point in time, passed through the same portal, and the Gate within, that he and Obito had. He knew that Kakashi's companion thought he was Satan incarnate. He knew that Kakashi had heard of his orders to kill the Uchiha clan. With that, he knew if he encounter Kakashi first, Naruto would not attack him. But Kakashi's reaction to Obito might stall him from explaining things to Naruto long enough for the boy to get the wrong idea. He also knew that, without Zetsu following them, he and Obito could help the two, if only momentarily.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of gargling from the bathroom, followed by a choking sound and some gagging noises. _Did he really just accidentally swallow mouthwash?_ Itachi wondered incredulously. He ate his pocky quickly, and stood just in time to hear an ominous thump come from the bathroom.

"Troublesome." The Uchiha said with a frown, and went to go help his hapless uncle.

* * *

Sakura and Gaara took one look at the uniforms and laughed. Well, Sakura laughed, while Gaara just tried to blink his incredulous humor away. Naruto and Kakashi shared a sweatdrop, but they persevered nonetheless.

"If you guys are gonna blend in with Omega, you have to wear the uniforms!" Naruto said insistently. Sakura just burst into fits at his begging. Kakashi didn't even try to force the other uniform on Gaara. If the Kazekage didn't want to wear something, there weren't many things he could do to convince the boy otherwise.

"Why do we _absolutely _have to wear those things? I mean, I would understand if it were undercover work, but just because it's a uniform?" Sakura asked as she dodged another attempt by Naruto to pull the shirt over her head. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing!" She finally got fed up with Naruto's grappling and punched him in the chest, sending him into the wall. The brutalized genin whimpered in pain, then slumped to the ground next to an uncaring Kyuubi. When he tried to reach out for the fox's help, the vulpine just bit him on the hand. Defeated, he just groaned and laid still.

"Sakura, the only reason you're not locked up in some lab is because Mustang 'recruited' you. If you don't play the part, you'll be strapped to a table and dissected faster than Naruto eats ramen." Kakashi warned. That got to her, and the girl shivered at the thought. Naruto could really go through a bowl or six when he wanted to. The mention of his favorite food got another whimper out of the blonde, and Kyuubi jumped onto his head and curled up for a nap. Since he was the size of a sheepdog, it really left the blonde in a predicament.

"I've seen what the soldiers of this country do to their citizens. I won't wear that uniform." Gaara said resolutely. Kakashi sighed, and Sakura just shot the red head a thumbs up. Things were going as he had planned.

"Fine, you can wear your normal clothes, but Sakura has to where a red cross. We're going to be bringing you with us as a field medic, and if you wear it they won't care how... _different_ you look." Sakura shot her sensei a glare, but nodded in agreement regardless. No matter how mature she seemed, the girl was still sensitive about her appearance. Kakashi turned to Gaara, who raised a thin eyebrow. "Gaara can just stay as is. No reason for him to change into another uniform if he'll be doing the same thing we are. They'll assume you're an Alchemist either way, so you _should_ be good." Kakashi stressed the _should_ because there was always the chance someone would ask him for a watch as proof. He'd have to talk to Mustang later about that. "Gaara nodded in agreement, but didn't seem too cheery about the situation. He turned and looked over at the fox currently suffocating Naruto, who struggled to get the fifty pound demon off of his head.

"That wouldn't be the same fox that attacked your village so long ago, would it?" He asked curiously. Sakura glanced at Gaara, then looked over at the Kyuubi. The fox noticed their gazes, and rolled over lazily to allow Naruto air to breathe. While the knucklehead gratefully gasped for air, Kakashi nodded.

"Yeah, it's the same one. He's pretty cool, once you get past the whole 'demon that nearly destroyed your village thing'." Sakura's shocked expression and Gaara's skeptical one both made Kakashi wish he could just disappear, like a ninja or something. _Oh, wait..._

Kakashi smiled suddenly, a waved at the two standing shinobi. "Well, it's been fun, I'm off to do some paperwork. Later!" With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving three puzzled shinobi and a lazy demon fox behind. Naruto stood up slowly, massaging his chest to ease the pain. The fox looked up at Sakura, and decided to make a gamble: either let her stay mad at him for being THAT demon fox, or risk being crushed. Deciding death by hug was better than getting killed by friendly fire, the fox took the plunge.

Sakura glanced down at the feared, infamous Kyuubi, and was surprised to see THE cutest set of puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen. Well, fox kit eyes would be more accurate, but the flat ears, sparkling eyes, and pouting lip just made her feminine instincts kick in. She pounced on the poor animal with lightning speed, and soon began hugging and molesting the poor fox just as Hawkeye had done several weeks prior. Naruto and Gaara just shook their heads in sympathy, but they made no move to help the demon. As Naruto watched his partner get crushed to Sakura's chest like a red plush toy, Gaara had a chance to examine him. The red head knew that Naruto's hair was nowhere near as bushy as it was then, and he certainly knew that red eyes weren't normal in very many people.

"Naruto," he said suddenly, ignoring the struggling fox and his captor. "How long have you looked like that?" Naruto stiffened. Sakura stopped crushing the fox and looked at her teammate, and realized in surprise that Gaara was right. She dropped Kyuubi unceremoniously, the fox shaking off its fur and trying to forget the molestation it had just endured. Sakura walked over quickly and looked at Naruto's face.

The blonde tried to avert his eyes, but Sakura wasn't one of the greatest medic ninjas in the universe for nothing. Her critical eye noticed his whiskers, shaggy hair, and crimson eyes in a nanosecond, and she wondered how she had missed it earlier.

"Naruto..." she said worriedly, her brow creasing with concern, "what happened to you?" Naruto didn't reply right away, but his gaze did fall on the fox. Gaara glanced over at Kyuubi as well, and the fox just turned up its nose and walked out the open door.

"It happened because of the Gate we came through. Don't blame him for it." Naruto said solemnly, his face falling into shadow. "When we came through, my seal pretty much disappeared, and he appeared outside of me. For some reason, though, we're still stuck together." He looked down at his hands, and clenched one into a fist. "As he regains his power, I get some too, whether I like it or not. With him at this size, I look like this. In a week or so, I'll look crazy. When he reaches full strength..." He let the sentence die, but Sakura knew the implications. She just looked down sadly, but on the inside she was seething. _We just got him back, only to find that he has a death sentence._ She gritted her teeth, and looked up at him. Even though he'd pretty much told her he was becoming a monster, his eyes were apologetic. He knew he would end up a feral animal, yet he still cared about whether or not she was okay? _This is why we came through,_ she thought to herself, _because of him. And I'm not going to watch him turn into a monster without trying everything I can._ She was about to say something else, when Gaara broke the tense silence with a sneeze.

Perplexed, Naruto and Sakura both gave him a surprised look. Gaara looked surprised himself, and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "It seems I'm catching something from this infernal place." He said with a sniff. Sakura was about to ask if they'd had their shots since coming to this world when Kakashi returned in a puff of smoke.

"Pack your bags." He said seriously. "We're heading to South headquarters to investigate a lead on our quarry."

* * *

"Sakura, what are we doing here? You know I hate hospitals." Naruto complained loudly as they waited in a large patient room. Sakura ignored him and looked over the chart in her hands, her eyes running over the lists of various diseases and their symptoms.

"Indeed. I don't see why we had to come with you to satisfy your knowledge with the local colds and sniffles." Gaara drawled with a huff. He clearly was not enjoying himself, although the first cold in his life was probably affecting his mood.

"You two have had demons inside of you all your lives. Without them, you can catch diseases like the rest of us mortals." Sakura said sternly. She turned and gave them both the trademarked Tsunade glare. "So you won't leave this hospital until you've gotten your immunizations." The two boys looked at her for a moment, then burst out into raucous laughter. Sakura stood dumbstruck as the two howled with laughter, partly because she hadn't even seen Gaara smile before then. _I should get a picture before they stop._ She thought incredulously. Quick as a wink, she snapped a shot of the two ex-jinchuriki laughing their heads off before storing her camera back in her back just as quickly.

Gaara was the first to stop laughing, and he regarded her with an incredulous look. "What is it that convinces you that we'll sit idly by while you stick us with your needles, miss Nurse?" He asked with a smirk. His comment sent Naruto into another round of hysterics, so much that the blonde fell off of his chair and into the floor. Sakura fumed at their antics, and a tick mark appeared on her forehead.

With a frustrated growl, the medic reached out and grasped what appeared to be thin air. Her grip tightened, and a pained 'ow' escaped from apparently out of nowhere. The air shimmered, and a cringing Kakashi stood, his shoulder in Sakura's iron grip. The two boys stopped laughing immediately, their shocked gaze on the captured jounin. They were further shocked when Sakura pulled a chair from the table next to her and bodily slammed Kakashi down, forcing him to sit. The silver-haired man sat perfectly still, quivering in fear as she cracked her knuckles.

"Any more questions you wanna ask?" She asked dangerously. Gaara and Naruto both shook their heads quickly, scared she might open an extra large can of 'WHOOP-ASS' on them. Their complaining ceased immediately, just when a nurse walked up with not one, not two, but _eighteen_ syringes, each with its own little description. A cold chill ran through all three captive males, and Naruto pushed his red headed friend forward without hesitation.

"Take him first! I'm too young to die !" He cried piteously. Gaara doubled back on him with a raised fist, mentally cursing forgetting to bring his sand.

"You think I'll let you offer me up to this witch just like that? Uzumaki, after all I've done for you..." Gaara growled, but stopped when he felt a hand grab his sling. He was dragged backwards down a hall, into a room marked '117'.

Gaara was bodily thrown onto the seat that was there, and looked around in annoyance. The small room had an examination table, a sick bed, a bathroom, and a sink. Pretty much Hell in his terms, but what could he do?

"Alright, take your shirt off, and we'll get this over quickly." Sakura instructed, the hard edge still in her voice. Now, Gaara was a grown man in many cases, having led a village for several years and killed countless people. But it was times like these that he just felt like acting like a child. This time, he did.

"I don't wanna." He said emotionlessly. It was obviously the wrong thing to say. Sakura's eyes took on a red glint, and the syringe in her hand became a deadly weapon.

"Sabaku no Gaara, so help me if you don't strip _right now,_ I'll destroy your shirt and make you wear these stupid uniforms all the way back to Suna!" She said as she grasped him by the collar. Deciding to let her win this one, Gaara reluctantly removed enough clothing to bare his shoulders and chest, though he blushed slightly when her eyes fell on his toned chest.

"Just get it over with." He mumbled. Sakura shook her head at how he could be deadly one second and childish the next.

"Alright, but remember, it's only pain." She said. Gaara turned and looked out the window, though his trained ears heard her come closer. He knew it would hurt, but he had endured worse. Hell, she would have probably been just as comfortable holding a katana. But if she thought the Kazekage was going to give her the satisfaction of showing pain, she had another thing coming. Still, when he felt it inches from his skin, Gaara couldn't help but cringe.

She must have picked the largest, bluntest, oldest recycled needle in the whole damned city. But she was right. It was only pain.

Five shots later, Gaara emerged from room 117 with sore shoulders, a queasy stomach, and a headache. Still, he had the immense satisfaction of watching both Kakashi and Sakura drag Naruto into the room, and even noticed the deep gouges his fingers left in the tiles. As he leaned back and gazed out the window, he couldn't help but think about his village, with Temari, Kankuro, and (though he would never admit it to the others) Matsuri. He had almost given up all of that just to save Naruto, a boy that he barely knew, yet owed his life to. And he knew that, had the roles been reversed, Naruto would not have hesitated to do the same. _And that is what makes him such a good friend,_ Gaara thought. _He will always think of others first. Maybe that will be his downfall, but I don't see him going down easily._ Gaara listened to the cries of anguish and the grunts of effort as Kakashi and Sakura administered Naruto's shots, and he smiled. Kyuubi yawned and curled up smugly in the chair next to Gaara. He hadn't needed any shots at all, much to Gaara's chagrin. The red head looked at the fox with a scowl.

"If you don't stop acting so smug, I'll recommend that you get 'fixed'." Gaara said sinisterly. The fox whimpered and looked at him with pleading eyes.

The Kazekage smirked and returned his gaze to the window. Life, for the time being, was going to go smoothly. He scanned the city lazily, and was just in time to see several rocks jut from a building off in the distance. Curious, Gaara squinted and looked harder. Sure enough, people and rocks were flying everywhere as someone apparently tore the building apart.

* * *

"Teacher! Stop it!" Ed shouted shrilly, dodging a stray stone bullet that Major Armstrong had carelessly sent his way by mistake. His teacher, Izumi Curtis, a woman with black dreadlocks and a white button-up lab coat, ignored him as she transmuted the wall on her right int several fists, all of which were sent in the direction of one Major Louis Armstrong. The extremely buff, tall blonde man (already shirtless) shot his right fist out with astounding speed and accuracy, and converted all twelve wall fists into miniature busts of himself. The Elrics and their teacher gawked slightly at the showmanship, and the Major seemed quite proud of his work, stopping to sparkle in that odd way that he does.

"Now, witness the technique that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!" He declared proudly. With a tremendous stomp, the fists collapsed and fell toward the ground in crumbling rocks. With lightning quick jabs, Major Armstrong turned them into cone-shaped missiles, and sent them rocketing toward Izumi. A determined glare on her face, the veteran alchemist clapped her hands together and placed one on the wall next to her. A blazing flash of blue lightning filled the room as she molded the construction to her purposes. When the light faded, even Ed and Al were shocked. Long streams of rebar had punched through every single bullet. Even one that had come close to slamming into Izumi's face had been punctured and stopped. Izumi let her hand drop, clearly not impressed.

"Please, don't underestimate me. I _did_ train these boys." She said dismissively. Armstrong frowned at the impressive display of accuracy, but responded by slamming one of his gauntlet-covered fists into the ground, producing a line spikes that zipped toward Izumi. The woman responded by slamming her hands into the ground at her feet, creating a giant fist that she surfed toward the Major on. The Major met the fist with a full-powered punch, shattering it. But Izumi kicked off just before impact, and brought a devastating axe kick down toward him. Armstrong was just barely able to get a forearm up to block the blow, and even then it was too powerful to block completely. Her foot carried on to hit him in the forehead, but it only had a minor impact. The glancing blow turned Armstrong's head, and he heaved upward in an attempt to throw the woman off balance. Izumi was prepared for it, and adjusted so that she landed smoothly in a crouch.

"Al, we have to stop them!" Ed yelled frantically. Al blanched, then nodded hesitantly. Together, they ran to block Izumi before she could stand back up. They both held their arms out to block her advance, and her brow furrowed.

"What are you boys doing? Don't make me kick your asses, too!" She said angrily. The Elrics cringed slightly, but held their ground. Behind them, Major Armstrong stood from his stance.

"Teacher, this isn't right!" Ed said insistently. "If you keep going after that kid, people are going to get hurt!"

"Yeah!" Al added. "Besides, he's a Homunculus. You know what they're like. He'll try to kill you!" Their words unfortunately had a very negative effect on Izumi. Her brow darkened and she scowled.

"Homunculus or not, he's my baby! He's my responsibility, not yours!" She roared angrily. Ed wasn't ready for the kick, and her lateral strike sent him sideways, into a window. The already damaged glass gave at his weight, and all he felt was weightlessness.

Naruto and Sakura ran toward the headquarters, with Gaara, Kyuubi, and Kakashi tagging along behind. As they neared it,the ominous rumblings increased, and Naruto began question the stability of the structure. When they were about to enter the building, however, the newly healed blonde was once again introduced to pain.

It happened quickly. Naruto was sprinting toward the door, when the sound of breaking glass above him made him stop. His reward was an eighty pound ball of red, black, and blonde as he was dropped to the ground by the shortest Alchemist in the business.

"Gah!" He cried as he fell to the ground. His assailant groaned in pain as well. The blonde kid rolled off of Naruto slowly, holding his side. Sakura ran over to examine the boy, while Gaara checked on Naruto. Sakura felt his injured side, despite the boy's protests, but found no serious injury to his ribs or any other skeletal break. Naruto was fine, his miraculous healing already taken care of the minute damage.

"Oof. Softest landing I've ever had..." The boy said slowly. Sakura smirked at his humor, then looked back at Kakashi.

"He's alright. For someone who just jumped out of a window, anyway." She said with a wry grin. As she moved, Kakashi noticed the silver pocket watch on the boy's belt loop. _A State Alchemist?_ He wondered. _What's he doing falling out of windows?_ Still, the jounin kept his mouth shut.

"Why did you come flying out of the window?" Sakura asked gently. Upon being reminded just how he had wound up outside, the boy looked up sharply.

"You've gotta help me. My teacher's inside doing something stupid, and if we don't get her out of there, the military will kill her!" He said urgently. Gaara, who had just helped Naruto back up, nodded at this. He knew how the military acted with its enemies.

"We'll help you. Where is she now?" The Kazekage asked. The boy stood and brushed himself off, then jerked a thumb towards his chest.

"Follow me."


	10. Chapter 10

This is officially the second part of the story.

* * *

"Teacher! How could you do that to Ed?" Alphonse yelled frantically. Izumi didn't respond, but Alphonse wasn't looking for one anyway. He rushed over to the broken window, looking around for his brother on the ground. In the meantime, Izumi stared down at Armstrong.

"Edward has fought Homunculi and fate for a long time. If falling out of a window could put him out of action, he never would have made it this far." She said stonily. Alphonse stopped looking for a second, and glanced back at Izumi. She had a point, but even so... it wasn't right to knock Ed out a window just because he was in the way. Al had a sinking feeling that she would do anything to get the child – no, the Homunculus – away from the military. He stepped back away from Izumi uneasily, like she was a cornered animal.

Armstrong also took a step back, though for more tactical purposes. He settled into his more defensive stance, both arms low but ready to block an attack from above or below. Izumi set her shoulders, but opted for a ranged approach. With a clap of her hands, she formed a desk-sized fist out of the floor and rode it as it rocketed toward Armstrong. As opposed to how he had dealt with it previously, the major sidestepped it this time and swung at the woman. Izumi jumped over the swipe and kicked out at Armstrong. With his right arm already outstretched, he was forced to catch her foot with his weaker left hand. He twisted, trying to throw her off balance, but his weaker hand wasn't strong enough. Instead of spinning her around, he managed to only knock her to the ground. Izumi landed in a crouch and used her free leg to sweep Armstrong's legs out from under him. The major grunted in surprise and went down hard, dropping Izumi's leg as he fell. The woman wrapped her other leg under Armstrong's back and pivoted on her arms, slamming him into the ground with earth-shaking force. The blow dazed him for a second, allowing Izumi to right herself and stand. Alphonse cried out in surprise as the major slowly stood back up. Izumi prepared herself for another attack, but Armstrong made no move to continue the fight. He looked at her with a sad and regretful expression, his hands at his sides.

"Go." He said wearily, and sat down in an alcove created by their fight. "There's never a good reason to take a woman's son away. Go save your boy." Izumi hesitated, but then nodded firmly. With a cautionary glance at Alphonse, she took off down the hallway at a jog, wary of any others that would try to stop her. Al paused, torn between meeting up with his brother and making sure he was okay, and following Izumi. He looked out the window one more time, then rushed off to follow his teacher. Ed could meet up with him later.

* * *

Naruto followed the short little blonde kid up the third flight of stairs, mentally complaining all the while. _Seriously, he falls on top of from forty feet up, and doesn't even have the common courtesy to tell us his name? _The blonde thought grumpily. Kakashi, Gaara, Sakura, and Kyuubi all followed behind, alert for the first sign of danger. Well, besides the explosions that were now rocking the building.

A loud _BOOM_ followed by ominous rumbling echoed from ahead of them, and the blonde kid stopped momentarily. He looked around the stairwell, then saw a door. He dashed for it, and the shinobi had no choice but to follow. When the Alchemist reached the door, he kicked it open, and was kicked in the face in return. He flew back into the brick wall, indenting it. A foot encased in a sandal not unlike Tsunade's retracted, and the shinobi got their first good look at Izumi Curtis.

The woman wore a white lab coat with no sleeves a pair of black pants. Her hair was a ponytail of dreadlocks, with a few rogue strands falling across her face. Kakashi looked her over, and could tell that she was fluent in martial arts. Her stance, feet shoulder-width apart, hunched forward slightly, told him that she was ready and willing to kick all their asses to get through. She was also cradling a dark bundle of hair and clothing to her chest in a _very_ protective manner, not unlike a mother wolf protecting her pup.

The blonde kid looked up groggily, but his dazed countenance quickly became one of rage.

"Teacher! Why the hell do you keep trying to kill me?" He demanded loudly. "I'm the one trying to save your ass from that _thing!_" He pointed his finger at the dark blob, only for it to move. The bundle shifted, and a pale face came into view, slitted purple eyes shining in confusion. It was a small boy with ridiculously long hair and some rather odd clothes, a short shirt and what looked like black biker shorts. When he saw that face, Gaara gasped slightly, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

_Those eyes..._ he thought. _I saw them in that Gate..._ Kakashi was studying the child as well, though his attention was focused on the bottom of the boy's foot. Tattooed on the ball of his right foot was the Uroboros, the serpent that consumes his own tail. Though he had only chased them for a sparse month or so, he knew the tell-tale signs of a Homunculus when he saw them, and that tattoo topped the list. Kakashi shook his head in confusion. _Right when we get pulled off of the Homunculi, we pretty much literally run into one._ He thought in slight frustration. _It's almost as if we were reassigned to keep us away from them._

"Ed, I don't have time to listen to your yammering." The woman snapped. She tightened her hold on the child held to her chest, and glanced behind her. Kakashi and Naruto looked beyond her as well, while Sakura attended to Ed and Gaara continued to stare at the child. A man in a huge suit of armor came hurtling down the hallway, obviously in pursuit of Izumi. The woman grimaced, then turned and ran down another hallway. The armored man turned the corner and was about to follow, when he glanced at the crew. Or rather, beyond them.

"Brother?" Despite his size, the guy had a surprisingly childish tone, like one of a fourteen-year-old boy. Ed looked up, and waved with a groan. Al brushed past Gaara and pulled his brother up, much to Sakura's indignation. "We've got to go now, brother! The military is closing in on her!" He said insistently. Ed nodded, and the two ran off in pursuit of their teacher. Kakashi waved his hand, and the shinobi ran behind them. Using superior speed, they quickly caught up with the Elrics, and Kakashi ran along beside Ed.

"That boy was a Homunculus." He said with certainty. Ed didn't stop, but his eyes did widen slightly. The information didn't seem new to him, but it look more like he'd resolved an internal debate.

"Really now?" Ed asked rhetorically. "That's all the more reason to get Teacher away from him. Who are you guys, anyway?" He asked curiously, eyeing their uniforms and and Sakura and Gaara's foreign clothes, as well as the Omega patch on Kakashi's uniform.

"We're a special task force that was originally assigned to hunt down the Homunculi, but we were recently reassigned. We work under Colonel Mustang." Kakashi said quickly. Up ahead, more explosions erupted, and everyone quickened their pace. Mustang's name made Ed frown, but he seemed glad they were there anyway.

The seven turned the corner into a three-way fight. Several soldiers at the opposite end of the hallway were firing at what seemed to be a lizard man, who was dodging their bullets effortlessly. A man in a red suit was throwing what looked like exploding pebbles at Izumi, who either dodged them or batted them away before they exploded. Ed and Al stopped, but the shinobi (minus Kyuubi) kept running.

Gaara, though less than prepared without his sand, had no qualms about coming up behind the man in the red suit and kicking him in the small of the back. The man grunted in pain and surprise and fell forward, allowing the soldiers to concentrate fire on the lizard man. The odd reptilian was no longer throwing snide remarks, and began making a more noticeable effort to avoid the bullets, ducking and weaving on the walls and ceiling. The man in the suit turned and righted himself, only to catch a fist with his nose. This time, Gaara's blow was enhanced with chakra, and the man in the suit was sent flying backwards and through the wall. He fell down three floors before landing in the grass, unmoving. With his ally down for the count, the lizard man beat a quick retreat, scrambling out of the newly created hole in the wall. With their freak show enemies out of the game, Izumi and the soldiers looked at the new arrivals with interest. Kakashi continued toward the soldiers, and his rank of Major became suddenly clear to them. They all holstered their weapons and saluted, save for one man cradling a bloody arm. Sakura came to his aid, wrapping the arm with bandages to stop the bleeding.

Naruto ran to Izumi herself, and instead of saying anything to Izumi, he looked the boy directly in the eyes. When he saw the purple eyes with slitted pupils, he knew Kakashi had been right. With an angry frown on his face, he leaned closer to the boy's face.

"You." He said threateningly, his hair beginning to bristle as his chaotic chakra began broiling along with his emotions. "You have the same eyes as Envy." The boy's eyes widened, and he retreated deeper into Izumi's grasp. The woman's mouth contorted into a snarl, and she threw a kick at Naruto. The blonde jinchuriki dodged it effortlessly, his gaze still locked on the Homunculus.

Behind him, Ed heard his words and was shocked. _They've met Envy?_ He thought incredulously. _I guess that means that Mustang has been doing some work._

Izumi had endured enough of this senseless torture, and turned toward the open hole. Without a backward glance, she ran and jumped out, her target a line of bushes. Naruto let her go, but his eyes never left those of the Homunculus. When everyone was paying attention, the boy had looked innocent and scared. But as soon as she jumped, and no one was watching him, the little non-human had smirked at Naruto. And that pissed him off. Kakashi explained everything to the soldiers, and Gaara brought the still seething Naruto back over to the Elric brothers.

"When did you meet Envy?" Ed demanded, not even letting Naruto recover from the entire ordeal. Naruto looked down at the short Alchemist, and decided the truth wouldn't hurt if Ed already knew.

"We were assigned to protect Lt. Colonel Hughes on a sting." He said gruffly. "Three Homunculi attacked us, and one of them was an excellent fighter. It introduced itself as Envy." _That_ rocked Ed's world for sure. _Hughes was attacked?_ He thought incredulously. _And he didn't even tell me about it?_ That could come later. First, he had to figure out who these people were, and how they were related to Mustang. If the Colonel was involved, Ed just knew something was up. He took once last glance at the hole where Izumi had escaped, then walked across the hall to Kakashi. The elite shinobi was currently fielding questions and and such from the bewildered soldiers, many of whom had never fought an Alchemist.

"Ok, how do you know Mustang? Did he send you here to follow us?" Ed demanded. Kakashi paused, then turned to look down on the diminutive Alchemist. Mustang had told him a little about the FullMetal Alchemist, but there wasn't enough for him to go on. So, Kakashi gave him the fat-free version.

"Like I said, we work under Mustang as a special task force. Until recently, we were searching out the Homunculi. Unfortunately, the Fuhrer himself reassigned us to a group of rebels that have been tearing up the South." Kakashi explained patiently. "What I find suspicious is when a building starts sprouting rocks and exploding." He crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, emphasizing how much taller he was than Ed. "Care to fill me in?"

Ed grit his teeth. Mustang had a whole group of people seeking out the Homunculi? That was some news, although the Lab 5 incident was the talk of the military. Still, the man carried a gun, so there was little chance he was an Alchemist. That meant he couldn't be too skilled, so Mustang wouldn't assign him too many vital missions.

"I don't get it. You're not Alchemists, and I've never seen you guys at Central. Where are you guys from?" Ed asked cautiously. Al walked up behind him, looking at the two Omega commanders nervously. Naruto turned his crimson eyes away from them, and glared out toward the sunset. In the distance, his eyes followed a white coat, before it passed over a hill towards town.

"I can't tell you everything, but I can say that we're on the same side." Kakashi said. He looked over his shoulder at Naruto. "We helped Hughes find three Homunculi, including the Fuhrer's secretary. We've also found that Dr. Tim Marcoh was killed by Gluttony, the fat Homunculus." Kakashi said. When Ed heard of Marcoh's fate, his eyes widened. Al gasped in shock as well. Kakashi looked at the two, gauging their reactions.

"Dr. Marcoh is dead?" Ed asked, his voice raising in pitch. "I thought he went into protective custody! They were supposed to keep him safe!" He yelled frantically. His mind went back to the last time he'd seen Marcoh. The woman that had come to pick him up had been a Homunculus. A very familiar looking one...

"The Fuhrer's secretary is a Homunculus? And you're not concerned at all about this?" Al asked, equally appalled by the situation. He looked at Ed, trying to determine how his brother would act, but the blonde Alchemist was running answers through his own head.

_I don't want to admit it, but it looked like her. A lot like her._ He thought, his emotions struggling in a futile battle against his memory. The woman's voice and appearance had been almost the spitting image of Trisha Elric. But that was impossible. The _thing_ that they had created that night had died. It was a roiling mess of flesh, bone, and muscle. It didn't even remotely resemble the Fuhrer's secretary. Still...

Gaara walked over to Naruto, concerned for his friend's emotional state. Kyuubi walked up on Naruto's other side, looking up at him. Gaara set a hand on his shoulder, and the blonde turned to look at him. Crimson eyes met sea foam green, and Gaara could see that his friend was still angry. But at what?

"That thing, Gaara." He growled out. "That thing is what took Kyuubi's power. That thing is the reason I look like this. _That thing_ is going down." Gaara was mildly surprised at this. Normally, Naruto would advocate compromise, or at least stop at a good pummeling. But now, it looked like he was ready to murder the Homunculus.

"Calm down, Naruto." Gaara said reassuringly. "You can't know that it did all those things." Naruto shook his head, frustrated that the Homunculus had gotten away.

"I just know, Gaara. Okay?" He turned and walked out of the destroyed hallway, Kyuubi at his heel. "I just know."

* * *

Obito Uchiha had done a lot of things in life. He had acted like an idiot (intentionally) as a cover for his spying operations in the Akatsuki. He had donated his eye to possibly his best friend, only to watch said friend escape with his life. Then again, heroic suicide wasn't supposed to leave you alive and well.

But what on Earth had brought him to where he was today? He yawned and looked around the military building known as Central Headquarters. He had gotten bored and snuck in to see how up to snuff their security was. For a shinobi that could walk on walls and faze through solid objects, it wasn't that hard to sneak inside. As it was, he was currently lounging on the ceiling of an office belonging to one Colonel Roy Mustang. The man and his adjutant, a rather attractive woman named Riza, were bantering back and forth with mindless chatter. But if there was one thing Obito had learned throughout the years was that idle conversation revealed a lot more than any interrogation.

"Colonel, I still say that the Elrics need to be kept under guard." Hawkeye insisted. "Especially after the incident with Lt. Colonel Hughes and the Fuhrer's secretary, there aren't many people they can trust. We need to look after them more carefully." She said firmly. Obito pulled a nail file out and began grooming, bored out of his mind.

"There's a double-edged sword to that, Lieutenant." Mustang said with a frown. "If they can't trust anyone, neither can I. If the Fuhrer's secretary was a Homunculus, then the boys would be put in danger with every move I make." He glanced in her direction, and she met his gaze. "If you recall, the one that nearly killed Hughes had impersonated Lieutenant Ross to an astonishing degree." Hawkeye lowered her eyes slightly, conceding his point.

"I suppose. Thank God for Kakashi Hatake." Obito was so stunned to hear the name of his friend that he almost dropped his nail file. But that would have alerted the two officers, and thus been unprofessional as a ninja, so he just stowed it. He paid much closer attention now, half-finished nails could be bitten off later.

"I am glad to have recruited him, actually." Mustang's frown changed to a smirk. "He and Naruto have proven most excellent in training the next generation of commandos. Every member of Omega has been reassigned to train more." He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed as he thought over the situation. "We're going to be able to close in on Krauser and catch these Homunculi more easily because of those two. I guess I owe them a lot."

"I heard they were involved recently in the South, what with the attack on the Headquarters and such." Hawkeye said stoically, picking up said report and reading over it. Obito nodded to himself and fazed up into the ceiling. _This is the break we were looking for! Itachi's going to be so pissed that I found them before he did!_ Obito though giddily as he calmly walked off of the top of the roof. He landed outside of the compound in a crouch, then ran off toward the hotel, his Akatsuki cloak flapping in the wind.

When he arrived at the hotel, Itachi was sitting in the main room, next to the reception desk. He sat on one of the leather couches provided for guests mingling outside of their rooms, chewing on a stick of pocky. Obito had no idea where he had picked up the addiction, but the serial killer had almost a fetish for that candy.

"Itachi, I've got great news!" Obito said as he slid into the room. Itachi looked up at him, but otherwise kept chewing on his pocky. To most, they would think he was ignoring them, but Obito knew it was just a sign to continue. "Kakashi's been working for the military this whole time. He's at South Headquarters right now!" The older Uchiha said enthusiastically. Itachi nodded and, without pulling the pocky from his mouth, produced two train tickets from inside his cloak. There were tickets to Dublith, the closest town to South Headquarters. Obito gasped when he saw, then cried out in indignation.

"How did you find that out?" He asked incredulously, grabbing his ticket. "I heard from his commander and came straight here!" Itachi just shrugged, and continued enjoying his candy. Obito groaned, and noticed that their bags were already packed. Itachi stood up, finished his pocky, and threw the stick out the window, embedding it into a wall.

"Let's get going." He said neutrally. He and Obito returned their keys, thanked the landlady, and walked out the door. They made their way down the sidewalk toward the station, sticking out like sore thumbs in their cloaks. Obito noticed several odd looks from concerned parents, and he immediately regretted not bringing his Konoha gear. _At least a vest and a blue outfit would look better than walking around with clouds on my clothes. _He decided to voice his discomfort, and Itachi considered it.

"Our quarry recognize us not by face, but by our cloaks. Of the four that came here, only two know what I look like, and Kakashi thinks you're dead. We'll hold on to our cloaks for now, but perhaps we should find some less noticeable apparel." Itachi said, and looked down at the money they had swiped. There were about twenty 50 notes, enough for another week in the hotel. Surely they could afford some clothes with that much. Since their train wasn't leaving for another thirty minutes, they had some spare time. He glanced around the street, and spotted a shop with clothes being displayed in the windows. They seemed decent in his taste, black pants and red shirts with brown vests. He motioned for Obito to follow.

They entered the store, and found it had a lot more clothes than expected. The light was dimmer, and clothing racks packed the entire space. A counter in the back was manned by a bored looking teenager, who was reading a magazine article with a look of near suicidal boredom on his face. Other than he, only a really tall blonde man in the coat section inhabited the store. Obito looked at Itachi, who shrugged and moved into the area where the shirts were kept. He browsed lazily, passing a majority of them, but every now and then picking one up and examining it. Obito was not so reserved. He flew through the racks, examining every interesting design that caught his eye. He found a black shirt with matching jacket that was similar to what he had worn as a kid. A large cross-hair on the back of the jacket was done in red. It didn't look all that expensive, and he snagged a pair of black pants and some shoes to go with it. He got several sets of this outfit, and finally joined Itachi at the register.

Itachi had chosen a dark blue jacket with a black shirt underneath, and a pair of blue cargo pants. He had also chosen black boots, similar to Obito's shoes but with a tougher toe. The cashier rang up their purchases and took almost all of their money, and soon the Akatsuki members were on the train to Dublith, prepared to blend in with the crowds. The two had already changed into their new clothes, although Obito kept his goggles. For some reason, he was extremely touchy about those things.

The two passed the time by playing poker and Go Fish, with a deck of cards that Itachi produced seemingly out of nowhere. Soon enough, the cards got boring, and they occupied themselves by quietly watching the terrain speed past them.

"Ya know," Obito said out loud, "this train set up might be a good idea for village commerce. It's faster than going by foot, and you could transfer a whole lot more stuff." Itachi blinked, then shook his head.

"It would be too easy to sneak explosives into the coal supply or sabotage the rails. While it is an effective mode of transport, you can still walk when there is no road. A train has no such freedom." He said patiently. Obito frowned, but had to concede the point. Bandits or shinobi, destroying two rails of metal would be child's play.

"Why do you think no one has sabotaged these railroads?"

"From what I saw in town, the local military seems to rule with an iron fist. I can't picture a resistance lasting very long with all these rifles and tanks everywhere." Another point shot down by Itachi. Obito rolled his eyes, then looked around the train. There were several people in the other booths, including a man in a yellow jacket with a scar on his forehead and a pale woman with a fat bald man accompanying her, both dressed in black. Neither party noticed the other, and Obito sat back down grumpily. They wouldn't have looked out of place on the train of freaks.

* * *

Hughes groaned for what had to be the fourteenth time. He looked at his watch, then looked back at his assistant, Cheska.

"Come on, hurry up! Those court records are due tomorrow and I need to get them verified first!" He complained. To her credit, the mousy woman ignored him and kept writing at a furious pace. Hughes sighed, then picked up the receiver for his phone and started dialing. It rang twice, then picked up with a male voice.

"Hello?"

"Roy, it's me! How ya doing?" Hughes said loudly, holding back a laugh when he heard Lieutenant Hawkeye sigh in the background. Mustang sighed as well, and the irritation in his voice was clear.

"What do you want Hughes? I'm kinda in the middle of something." Mustang growled. _Good, he's playing his part really well. He actually sounds frustrated._ Hughes thought.

"Well, I was just calling to let you know that my son asked about you today. The little scamp asked if he could grow up to be like you one day. Naturally, I told him when pigs fly, but he seems to look up to you." Hughes said with a laugh. To his credit, Mustang didn't even pause.

"Well, I do like admiration and all, but you should warn him what it's like to play with fire. I myself got burned a few times when I started." He said haughtily. Hughes resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but continued on anyway.

"Did ya hear about that whole thing at South Headquarters today? I heard your boys ran into Omega." Hughes threw that out to confuse anyone listening in. Not that they would be confused already.

"Yes, that's right. As soon as the incident was over, I got a complaint from Ed saying that they had gotten in his way. Odd that he couldn't come up with a description of how they hindered him, though." That was real information, though not something anyone could go on. Hughes decided to end the call, so he started wrapping up.

"Well, you seem to do well with kids, Roy. So I make you this one little suggestion." He leaned toward the microphone and whispered, "You find yourself a wife." A sudden disconnect was his response, and he chuckled. The message had been read and passed flawlessly; though real information was used, the true diamond to the conversation was carefully encrypted in their words.

Maes Hughes had no son, that much was apparent. The 'son' was in fact a subordinate of his, one Major Archer. The man had been snooping around lately, specifically about Task Force Omega. Mustang's response: _warn him about messing with me, and keep close tabs on him. I've already caught him once._ In the end, though, Archer's curiosity wasn't something Hughes could block on his own. And with Omega recently being reassigned to a more public mission, the troops were starting to ask questions. Questions that were running up to Archer's ears. _It's bad enough the man's a warmonger,_ Hughes thought tiredly, _but his obsession with Kakashi's subordinates is unsettling. If he recruits an Omega member to spy for him..._ The implications weren't good. Still, all he could do was keep Roy informed and watch the man.

With a fake smile plastered across his face, he turned to Cheska.

"So, are those court records done yet?"

* * *

Kakashi and the other shinobi (Kyuubi included) stood on the lake's surface near an island. They had learned that Izumi had gone there earlier, and the Elrics had pursued shortly after. Kakashi, however, was able to form a battle plan.

"Ok, so now we have get over there and stop that kid from escaping." Naruto said eagerly, his sharp canines glinting in the moonlight. Kakashi nodded, and turned to look at Gaara, who had retrieved his gourd of sand.

"You've improved in your hand to hand combat. That's good." He said approvingly. "Because the Alchemists of this world could easily defeat you by manipulating your sand. Remember that, should we come across any. Fortunately, Homunculi can't use Alchemy, so feel free to bring it." The jounin then turned to Sakura. "I'll need you to be prepared for serious injury. That boy wasn't human, so Izumi may be injured, or worse." Sakura nodded, jaw set. Kakashi looked at the island, then nodded.

"Ok, let's move." All together, they dashed toward the island, quickly disappearing into the trees. They were moving so fast, none of them saw the boat moving slowly towards them, with Greed at the helm.

When they entered the forest, Kakashi became aware of muffled explosions in the distance. He picked up his pace, bounding through the branches with the others close behind. Several more _booms_ echoed from the interior, until Kakashi burst from the trees into a clearing. They found Al and Winry standing protective over Izumi, who was coughing up copious amounts of blood. On the far side of the clearing, Ed and the Homunculus were engaged in a fight, both swinging identical spears in a deadly bout. Kakashi motioned Sakura toward Izumi, and had Gaara slip back into the trees. He and Naruto ran forward to aid Edward, Kyuubi running alongside them.

Ed parried another slash and knocked the Homunculus's spear away, cleaved in half. He stabbed the point of his own weapon into the ground, just above the boy's right shoulder. Even though the razor sharp edge was inches from his face, the Homunculus didn't seem to mind.

"So, Ed. What is it you want?" He asked sinisterly. His innocent charm had long since evaporated, leaving only a sadistic creature in its wake. Ed snarled.

"Only what's mine. Give me back my-" He was cut off by Kakashi pulling him away, just in time to avoid a spike protruding from the Homunculus's leg. He gasped when he saw the sharp appendage, and allowed himself to be dragged back. While Kakashi retreated,Naruto dashed forward, red eyes glinting with anger. The Homunculus smirked and jumped up, grabbing the spear as he rose. He stabbed at Naruto when the blonde got close, but Naruto grabbed the shaft and jerked it from the boy's hands. The Homunculus reached down to grab a rock to harden his fist, only to feel a sharp stab into his hand. He cried out in pain and looked down to see Kyuubi latched onto his hand, blood running freely through his fingers. The dog-sized fox's eyes were identical to Naruto's, and the Homunculus actually felt fear's cold touch crawling up his spine. While he was distracted, Naruto punched him right in the face, sending the boy flying through the air. The Homunculus landed with a grunt, then stood slowly. Naruto didn't give him a chance to attack and swept the boy's legs out from under him. When the Homunculus hit the ground, Naruto already had a kunai ready to slice his throat. Just when the blade descended, however, a hoarse shout stopped him.

"STOP!" It came from Izumi, and was followed by a foreboding clap. She slamming her hands into the ground, causing the usual blue lightning, and the ground began to rumble.


	11. Chapter 11

A slight explanation is in order for those who are familiar with FMA storyline. Since Hughes didn't die, Archer never got to the high spot that he was when he became a cyborg. Because Gaara killed all the soldiers and dispersed Liore, Scar can't create his Philosopher's Stone there. That also means that Dante won't be seeking Rose's body, but she may have another candidate...

* * *

"STOP!"

_BOOM!_ Naruto never saw it coming, though the Homunculus child was likewise blindsided. With a clap of her hands, Izumi began moving the earth, shaping it to her will. In an instant, an fissure appeared right under Naruto and his prey. A deep rumble sounded as an entire mountain was split in half. Kakashi and Sakura gasped in shock.

Gaara observed the Alchemist's handiwork with an appreciative eye. The fissure ran across the clearing, into the woods, and had split the hill that stood at the highest point of the island. It had effective cut the island completely in two. Still, he could have done it. Most likely.

_Just what are these people capable of?_ Kakashi wondered. He looked over to Izumi to see the woman panting heavily, but her eyes were still on the two boys. The action had tired her out, but not so much that she wouldn't be able to intervene.

"Sakura, take care of Izumi!" He cried, running over to the fissure. "Don't let her kill herself!"

His order snapped Sakura out of her reverie, and she turned to Izumi. Her hands glowed green with healing chakra, and she raised them to Izumi's shoulder. The older woman watched curiously, apprehensive about the foreign technique.

"I'm just trying to see if you've torn a muscle or stressed a vital organ," Sakura said reassuringly. Her explanation did little to comfort Izumi, but she didn't resist. Sakura's brow furrowed as she concentrated. Izumi's shoulder and arm muscles were slightly saturated with lactic acid, which was to be expected after a fight. Her lungs and heart were functioning normally as well, though when she tried to check for ruptures in the woman's liver or stomach, she found... nothing. Frowning, Sakura concentrated harder, trying to find the woman's injuries. She must have been really rusty if she couldn't find someone's visceral organs. Even with her renewed efforts, however, all that she found was an empty cavity. Intestines, kidneys, liver – all were gone. There were no signs of an operation, or else there would be suture scars. It was as if the organs had simply disappeared.

"What in the world?" Sakura asked incredulously. Kakashi glanced at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "All of her visceral and reproductive organs are _gone._" Sakura said uncertainly. The puzzlement and horror she was experiencing managed to seep into her voice, and Kakashi was also taken aback. This woman, who could take down several chuunin by all rights, was living with only half of her organs? The prospect seemed unreal. Behind Izumi, Al and Winry gasped in shock and horror. Izumi herself just looked down in shame, until a violent coughing fit overcame her. She brought a hand up and began hacking and sputtering. To Sakura's shock, copious amounts of blood seeped through her fingers, splashing onto the ground in large drops. Kakashi turned away from the ill woman, focusing instead on the two boys.

On either side of the fissure, a boy was clinging to the wall. Naruto was in no trouble, being stuck there by chakra, but the Homunculus was desperately trying to pull himself up. He strained and pulled, while Naruto just watched him coldly. When the boy managed to pull himself up, he looked up at Naruto – only to see the cold, merciless eyes of a predator. He froze, his face a mask of fear as Naruto continued to stare. The blonde was silent for a moment, then whispered, in a deadly snarl that only the Homunculus could hear, "Run."

The child finally snapped out of his shock and backpedaled, all of his haughty bravado gone in the wake of Naruto's gaze. He cried out in fright as he turned and ran for his life. The bushes parted hastily as he fled, and Naruto let him run for a few moments, reveling in the thrill of the chase. Normally, he'd try to reason with his enemies, attempt to compromise or reach an agreement that ended without violence. However, the Kyuubi's chakra sharing seemed to have affected more than just his looks. Now, as he scented the odor of fear, a feral grin spread across his face. Then, he disappeared, dashing into the woods. Naruto Uzumaki was on the hunt, and there were few capable of escaping him.

* * *

Envy looked down from the bluffs, searching the woods for any sign of the new Homunculus, Wrath. So far, the only interesting thing to happen was the island getting split in half. While impressive, Envy had simply assumed it was a by-product of the fight going on below. The fighting ceased, however, and all was quiet for a time.

_I hope after all this baiting the boy wasn't killed,_ Envy thought impatiently. _Master would be pretty angry then._ Envy frowned, and turned to look out toward the water. A splash out of sync with the waves wafted up to Envy's ears, and he smirked.

"Well, well. All kinds of surprises today." Envy muttered as he walked to the edge. When he reached the precipice, he saw several people getting out of a wooden boat. Most, if not all of them appeared to be chimeras, though where they were from didn't come to Envy's mind right away. A familiar vest caught his attention, however, and his smirk widened into a grin.

"Hello, Ultimate Shield." Envy said condescendingly.

Greed heard the voice, and turned to look up at possibly his greatest threat. The rogue Homunculus grimaced in irritation, but then shrugged and adjusted his sunglasses.

"Hello to you, Ultimate... oh, that's right. You prefer to be called Abomination." Greed said sardonically. Envy was unfazed by his name calling.

"I see you managed to escape our master's prison. So, what did you do with the skull?"

Greed grit his teeth in anger and snarled out a reply.

"Why, I smashed into pieces, of course." He said with a growl. Envy's grin grew, and he chuckled.

"I see, so you've hidden it somewhere. Well, I'll just find it and seal you back up again." Envy said with a shrug. His nonchalance with imprisoning Greed got onto the rogue's nerves, and he jumped up toward Envy. The others stayed back and watched.

Greed reached the top right when Envy stepped back, and his clawed swipe missed by a mile. He followed up with two more strikes, but Envy jumped away from them as well. Frustrated, Greed raised his leg up and brought it down with lightning speed and enough power to shatter bones in a powerful axe kick. Unfortunately, the only thing it shattered was the ground where Envy had been previously standing.

Envy smirked at Greed's inability to hit him, and decided a little taunting was in order.

"What's the matter, Greed? All that time in that cell and you can't even touch me anymore." Envy said airily. Greed didn't rise to the bait, as his attention was focused on something below the bluffs.

From the copse of trees nearest the beach, the newly minted Homunculus Wrath appeared from the brush, gasping out of fear and exertion. He looked around, eyes wild as the adrenaline pumping through his veins increased his heart rate, making his breath come quickly and his limbs shake. He was a textbook example of a prey animal, running for his life. He clambered up the bluffs slowly, clumsily, his fear making his movements uncoordinated. Greed and Envy watched as a nearly indestructible creature hurried up the wall in frantic horror. Envy frowned and glared at the approaching Homunculus.

_That big baby. Doesn't he realize that he's almost immortal because of those stones?_ Envy marched forward, ready to give Wrath the tongue-lashing of a lifetime, when motion near the woods caught his eye. He turned to look, curious as to what might make Wrath flee so hurriedly.

At first, nothing out of the ordinary came to view. Envy squinted, concentrating on each shape in the woods. Something, or someone, was out there, but he couldn't see them. He was about to ask Wrath what the big deal was when he finally saw the problem. A black pair of combat boots, attached to a blue uniform of the military. Envy's trepidation grew as his eyes traveled up, and revealed the Omega patch on the shoulder. He snarled, and realized who it was. _It's that blonde kid from before, the one that can make copies of himself._ Envy realized. The blonde stared up at Envy with crimson, hate-filled eyes. Slowly, the shade around him seemed to grow darker, until all the watching Homunculi could see were the glowing red eyes. Finally, they too disappeared, and Envy got a very bad feeling.

He turned to Greed, hoping to dispatch the Ultimate Shield before that Omega kid showed up. Fortunately, Greed was already at the bottom of the bluffs, paddling so fast that his teammates were nearly thrown out of the boat. _Coward._ Envy thought snidely.

He motioned to Sloth, "Take Wrath and get him to Master. I'll be along shortly."

The suited woman nodded, then grabbed Wrath and turned to water, before diving into the lake with the smaller Homunculus in tow. With that out of the way, Envy could easily fend off the Omega operative, at least until he could escape. He cracked his knuckles and jumped down into the underbrush, before calmly walking deeper into the forest. _I'm going to ruin his entire week with this beating..._

Naruto growled in irritation as he watched the former secretary to the Fuhrer dive into the lake with his prey. His newly surfacing instincts told him that prey should never be allowed to escape, but they were quickly overruled when he sensed _him_. The Homunculus that had attacked Kakashi and Hughes, the one that had escape before. Envy. Naruto's grimace turned into a feral grin, and he pointed toward the clearing that Envy was headed toward.

"He's going to run into that clearing. Get his attention, and I'll make the first move." He said to Kyuubi, who was standing next to him.

**"Okay. Make sure it's flashy; I don't like playing bait for a lesser being."** Kyuubi said gruffly, before diving into the bush, toward said clearing. Naruto watched him go, then formed a familiar cross with his fingers. In dual puffs of smoke, two clones appeared. He pointed out at the lake.

"Follow the little boy in spandex, but don't attack. I want to know where they are hiding. Come back when they hole up." He ordered. The clones nodded in unison, then jumped off, heading toward the lake. It would probably be several hours before they would return, Naruto reasoned, so he decided to play around with Envy for a bit. If only until Kakashi arrived, at least. His feral grin returned, and he jumped into the tall grass.

When he got to the clearing, Envy was already being antagonized by Kyuubi. The fox was running around the clearing at high speed, rustling the bushes and trees as he ran. That, accompanied with his savage growls and snarls, had Envy looking every which way. Naruto almost snickered at the fox's antics.

_Alright, showtime._ He thought, and held his hand out and channeled chakra while a clone started rotating it.

* * *

Envy was starting to get angry. The snarls and growls echoing from all sides made it seem as if every animal within a five mile radius wanted a piece of him. Still, nothing came out, which had the Homunculus's nerves on edge. And he still hadn't seen Death yet. The Omega was certainly persistent, though he was also brash and straightforward. That made this bait and trap scheme odd and out of the ordinary.

"Grr, just come on out coward!" Envy cried with a clenched fist. "I'll pound you to a pulp to second you do!" To his surprise, the rustling and growling stopped altogether, leaving the clearing eerily quiet. Envy raised an eyebrow, and scanned the surrounding brush, eyes and ears alert for any signs of danger. Not even a bird dared to interrupt the heavy silence, the calm before the storm. _They have a sense of theatrics, at least._ The Homunculus thought. He took a step forward, toward the center of the island, when something jumped out of the brush behind him. He turned sharply, fist cocked for a knock-out punch, only to find a fox staring at him. He let his fist fall, embarrassed that a little woodland creature could startle him so easily. Another rustle to his right, and he turned to face it, though much slower this time. Big mistake.

"RASENGAN!"

A blue rotating ball of... _something_ collided with Envy's face. The second it touched him, his entire head began spinning with the energy, his shocked expression lost in the swirling vortex. Naruto slammed the ball home, and Envy was smashed into the ground with tremendous force, sending debris and chunks of rock flying everywhere. When the dust settled, Naruto stood up, a frown clear on his face. Below him, the torn and battered body of Envy lay twitching in the early morning light, gurgles coming from the gaping expanse that use to be his throat. Envy's head had been completely disintegrated with the explosion, but Naruto knew better than to leave a Homunculus behind until it was completely eradicated from the plane of existence.

Naruto stepped back, ready for anything, and observed the body. Its spasms slowed, then stopped altogether after roughly a minute. Still, the blonde knew things weren't over yet. Sure enough, a white light shone from the destroyed neck, repairing all the damage that the Rasengan had caused. Naruto watched in mild surprise as the light continued upward, creating a chin, grinning mouth, nose, and the rest of Envy's head. The light faded after tracing the Homunculus's ridiculously long hair, and Envy yawned. With a sickening crack, he grabbed his own head and snapped it into place, then released it with a contented sigh. Naruto crossed his arms as Envy stood, not at all impressed with the sub-human's regenerative powers.

"You see, kid?" Envy asked rhetorically as he settled into a fighting stance, right hand and foot forward. "I don't die so easily. If that's the best you've got, just give up." Naruto sneered at the 'friendly advice', but his sneer contorted to a smirk. His change in expression caught Envy's attention, unsettling him.

"It may take more than one hit to kill you," Naruto said as he cracked his knuckles. "but you're still forgetting something." Envy cocked a brow.

"And what exactly might that be, Blondie?" Envy asked haughtily. Surely he could take any punishment that the boy could dish out, right?

"You're outnumbered." Just as the words left Naruto's mouth, it clicked in Envy's head. _Last time we fought, he had a fox with him!_ Envy realized. He turned toward where he had last seen the vulpine, only to find a gaping maw full of sparkling white teeth inches from his face. He grunted in surprise and ducked backward, letting the snarling demon fly over him, Matrix-style. His attention had been diverted however. On his way back up, Envy saw the punch coming, but could do little other than let it land. Naruto punched him right in the face, sending him into the ground for the second time. The punch was so hard that Envy bounced off of the ground, and he used that to his advantage.

As Envy's body came back up, his lashed out with a kick, hitting Naruto square in the chest. The blonde gasped as the wind was knocked out of him, and he skidded back through the dirt, leaving two long furrows in the ground. He gulped air to feed his lungs, and was somewhat unprepared when Envy followed up with another kick, cartwheeling into the blonde. The kick forced Naruto's head down and his balance forward, perfect for Envy's next move. The Homunculus hooked his arms under Naruto's and turned, pulling the blonde over his head and slamming him headfirst into the ground. The impact was so great that a shock wave rippled through the ground, and Naruto's head was completely submerged in earth.

Envy released the blonde and smirked, only to feel a stabbing pain in his leg. He grunted in surprise and annoyance and looked down to find Kyuubi, the dog-sized fox digging his fangs into the Homunculus's right calf. Envy growled, and grabbed Kyuubi by the scruff of the neck. The fox didn't let go, but rather growled a warning. Its warning was cut off as Envy punched it in the side of the face, stunning it. The Kyuubi blinked rapidly, then released Envy's leg. The Homunculus swung again, only for his wrist to be captured in Kyuubi's mouth. This time, the demon really bit down, and Envy heard – rather than felt – all the bones in his wrist snap.

So caught up was the Homunculus in this battle with the fox that he didn't notice that Naruto was no longer embedded in the ground. The blonde snuck around behind Envy and, when the Homunculus went to punch Kyuubi again, caught his free hand. Envy gasped in surprise and looked behind him to see Naruto, teeth fully elongated and eyes crimson with rage. Even his whiskers had elongated, and it gave him the look of a ferocious animal. Naruto snarled right in Envy's face, then wrenched his arm, almost snapping off the appendage. Envy yelled in pain and fell to a knee. Kyuubi took advantage of this and released the Homunculus's mangled wrist, opting for his throat instead.

Envy's mind was hazy with pain, but he still registered the teeth sinking into his jugular. As the demon tore said pipe out, Envy fell dead for the second time that day, blood flooding out of his torn throat. As his body regenerated, Envy's mind was reeling.

_How...? How is he able to beat me? It's not supposed to be this way..._ Envy thought groggily as Naruto hoisted him up, another Rasengan at the ready. _I'm the Ultimate Life Form, this shouldn't be possible!_ This time, the Rasengan tore through Envy's chest, then exploded, sending blood, bone, and viscera all over the clearing, Kyuubi, and Naruto. Still, Envy reformed once more, only this time a few yards away. _I've got to get out of here! Must tell Master..._

Naruto's eyes narrowed as the white light once again enveloped Envy, only this time, there was no Homunculus standing in its wake. This time, a black and green hawk sat on the ground. He snarled and dove forward, but Envy was already in the air, flapping madly to escape. Naruto bared his teeth and watched as another prey escaped, but stopped when he heard a whine. He looked down to see Kyuubi limping, holding a paw up as it hobbled over to him. His enraged expression instantly turned to one of concern, and he stuck his hand out to examine the paw. Envy must have stepped on it during their final scuffle before his escape. When he ran his fingers over it, he could feel several fractures, much to Kyuubi's displeasure. Still, it was better than the alternative. Feeling the injuries, even though they were slowly healing, shocked some sense into Naruto.

"Without your healing powers up to snuff, there's a chance you could die, isn't there?" He asked worriedly. Kyuubi nodded, and carefully tested the paw to see if it would hold its weight. When it gave out, he whined once more, and held it up.

**"It seems that this body has not yet developed the demonic properties it had in the other realm."** Kyuubi said, displeasure oozing out of his tone. **"I'm weaker than a human in this state!"** Naruto frowned again, and shook his head. The fox could have died in that fight, but his ego had taken the most damage. Without asking permission, he scooped the injured fox up, much to the demon's surprise.

**"What are you doing?"** It asked in panic, looking around wildly as Naruto settled it against its chest.

"You helped me back there, and were injured because of it. So I'm taking you back to Sakura so she can heal you." Naruto stated simply. The fox 'harrumphed', but made no move to escape. That got a chuckle out of Naruto. "Besides, I carried you around in my gut my entire life. This shouldn't be any different."

**"Back then there were bars..."**Kyuubi groused. Naruto didn't reply, and they made their way back to the fissure in silence.

* * *

Kakashi heard the shock wave before he felt it, and he had definitely heard Naruto shout 'Rasengan', so he knew there was a lot of trouble up ahead. What he couldn't fathom was how that little boy would force Naruto to use the Rasengan. Even with his Homunculus powers, the boy would have been easily dispatched by a well placed clone ambush. Something had obviously happened, but Naruto couldn't leave the four behind him. He had no idea if the Elrics could handle themselves or not, and Sakura was too busy taking care of Izumi to defend them all.

Kakashi tensed when the brush rustled, ready to fend off anything that wasn't Naruto. He let his guard fall, however, when he saw Naruto walk into the clearing, holding an injured Kyuubi in his arms. He examined Naruto, and saw the telltale signs of regenerating wounds on his head and face. Still, the fox was in worse condition obviously, or else Naruto wouldn't be carrying it. Kakashi still remembered the night that the demon fox had attacked, and remembered the countless shinobi that had died fighting it. But to him, this fox was one of the few connections they had to the Leaf. And all connections to home had to be preserved.

"Sakura." Kakashi called, "How's Izumi doing?" As important as the fox was, it would look bad if he let a skilled Alchemist die to treat a fox's broken leg. Sakura looked up at Kakashi, then confusion from earlier still etched on her face.

"Without a freezer full of organs, I can't do anything else for her." Sakura said regretfully. "What do you need?"

Kakashi pointed to the fox in reply, and Naruto walked over to her. He knelt, and Sakura lifted the fox gently from his arms, her eyes studying its injured leg. She set it down on the ground, and her hands once again started glowing green as she worked to mend bone and muscle.

While Sakura was occupied, Naruto turned to face Izumi. The woman was no longer coughing up blood, so he assumed she could talk. He looked her in the eye, and she stoically returned his gaze.

"That boy. Did you ever name him?" Naruto asked. Izumi's eyes widened, and she looked away in shame. That definitely hadn't been a question she was prepared for. All the feelings of failure, hurt, and loss came roiling back to her as he stared at her with those damned red eyes.

"Samuel..." She ground out, fingers digging into the blood-stained earth before her. "I was going to name him Samuel." Naruto's eyes softened with sympathy. How could he condemn this woman for wanted her son back? Was it so wrong to try everything and more just to get your child back? Creating the Homunculus had been a mother's mistake. But defending said monster – when it was no longer human – was damning in his eyes. So he decided to twist the knife and give her one last look at the child that no longer existed.

"That boy died long ago, when you tried to resurrect him." Naruto said gently. She looked up at him, the sadness in her eyes almost making him regret his next words. Almost. "That _thing_ that nearly killed you is called Wrath by the other Homunculi. So get used to called it that." All the warmth and compassion that was in his voice before was gone, replaced by cold conviction. Izumi grimaced in despair, then looked down dejectedly.

"You're right." She admitted. "Samuel is dead. But..." She couldn't force the next words out no matter how hard she tried. So Naruto spoke again.

"I never had parents. I was raised as an orphan, without any mother or father to support me. So it is hard for me to grasp the bond of a parent and child." Kakashi looked down in shame at that, though no one could see. _I could show him a picture and he'd know his heritage._ The Copy Ninja thought sadly. Telling him now would probably be a good idea anyway. He'd wait until they returned to Central, then talk to him about it there.

"But I can say this," Naruto had the conviction back in his eyes, the kind that he'd had when he fought Sasuke. "honor Samuel's memory by destroying the monster walking around with his face and body. Put it down, so that your son can rest in peace." He concluded, then walked away. Sakura looked from Izumi to Naruto's back, unsure if anything was appropriate to say.

Izumi shuddered as the conflicting emotions roiled inside her. She was a mother, and mothers protect their young until their dying breath. But in reality, her son had died so long ago. The Homunculus walking around now was just an imitation, a mockery of what Samuel would have become. There was no real reason to defend it, no excuse to let it live, yet Izumi stopped herself every time she tried to end it. And she had no idea why.

"Damn you, Naruto." She cursed out. Sakura looked mildly concerned at the explicative. "Damn you for being right."

* * *

The Uchiha duo had searched the Southern City for Kakashi and Naruto, but to no avail. Top to bottom, they looked, but no sign of the Copy Ninja or his jinchuriki student. Itachi had caught rumors of them appearing in an attack on the local military base, but when he had arrived to check things out, the entire base had been evacuated and the building demolished for replacement. Obito had snooped around the neighboring towns for a bit, and had decided that their best bet was Dublith; a crossroads town were all kinds of travelers and information came to.

Itachi and Obito had found an inn at the center of the town, and for several days, had stayed and just listened. Everyday chatter and conversation was a shinobi's greatest information source. Civilians were victims and witnesses, and civilians talked. Then their neighbors would talk, and traveling companions. Just by listening in a marketplace, one could come to get a greater understanding of the entire area.

Itachi sat in a rocking chair across from Obito, poker cards in hand. The barrel they had commandeered was topped with a square piece of plywood, then covered with one of their cloaks, to both protect the cards and to cause a reaction out of any who might recognize it – such as the Kazekage, Sakura, Naruto, or Kakashi. The poker cards were just a cover and a means to pass the time. No one would question two obviously related men playing cards on the front porch of an inn. And since they both had the Sharingan, it was difficult for one to trick the other. Unfortunately, their cover had attracted other gamblers, and the two had quickly garnered an audience, as well as a profit.

"Full House." Itachi said, showing three queens and two sevens. Obito blinked, then grinned slyly.

"Straight Flush. Oh yeah." The elder Uchiha said with a victorious grin. The men sitting around them all muttered things like 'pair' or 'high card jack', before submitting their promised bets. Itachi had earned two thousand cins, while Obito's stack of three thousand was being drained slightly by his nephew. Obito eagerly scooped in his winnings, stacking the bills into columns of five hundred cins each. The deal went to the man sitting to Itachi's right, and he grudgingly grabbed the deck and began to shuffle.

While the grizzled blacksmith was shuffling their cards, Obito and Itachi both looked around inconspicuously, searching for their quarry. Yet again, no shock of silver hair or whisker marks came to view. Obito did, however, see a blonde boy in a crimson jacket with a silver chain in his pocket. His mind flew back to one of the conversations he'd listened to in Central. Apparently, he was staring at the FullMetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. Since Mustang had said that Omega, and more precisely Kakashi, would be watching the boy, he knew that Kakashi wasn't far. He'd also heard that the boy abhorred short jokes.

Obito lazily stretched his arms over his head, and looked down at his now dealt cards. _Now I just have to get rid of one of these jokers._ He thought, his plan already formulated. He had a decent hand, with two sevens, a four of clubs, an ace of diamonds, and a king of clubs. While in a normal game he could win with several Go Fish cards, Itachi would make things difficult. Unless the younger Uchiha knew what was going on, Obito wouldn't be able to get a guy out of the way in time. In the corner of his single eye, he could see FullMetal haggling with a shopkeeper. It was only a matter of time before the boy would leave, or at least get out of earshot. It was time for a desperate move.

"All in!" Obito said enthusiastically, pushing his entire stack into the center. The next three men folded immediately, but Itachi caught the look in Obito's eye.

"I call." Itachi said quietly. The rest of the men folded, and it was down to Itachi and Obito to show hands. They turned the cards simultaneously, and Obito's hand was revealed with his pair. Itachi's hand held four queens and an eight of spades. Four of a kind beat a pair any day of the week, and the surrounding men roared in excitement as Itachi calmly scooped his winnings over. Obito stood up and blocked the way for someone else to take his seat, his eye scanning the crowd for FullMetal, and was pleased to see the blonde was looking in their direction.

Obito grinned, then motioned him over. Curious, Ed walked up the steps to look at the game. He saw the huge amount of money in front of Itachi, and he whistled appreciatively.

"Wow, that's a lot of cash you got there." Ed said conversationally. Obito nodded, leaning up against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, but he cleaned me out. I bet you he drain anyone here dry." Obito said offhandedly. Ed looked up with a reluctant smile, but shook his head.

"I don't gamble much. It goes against my guiding principle. It's one of the few things in life where you can give a lot and receive nothing." Ed said, and turned to walk away. He was three steps down the road when Obito pulled his trump card.

"Eh, he'd probably rob you blind anyway, ya shrimp." Obito said gruffly, then looked at the game. Ed stopped mid-step, and ominously turned on his heel. Without another word, he had five hundred cins on the table and a hand of cards. Itachi looked up at Obito, who was standing off to the side. Obito mouthed a message: _send him home pissed._ Itachi blinked as a way of confirmation. It would be easy enough.

* * *

"ARRGH!" Ed roared in fury, kicking the door to the butcher shop in. Kakashi and Naruto looked up from their seats, and Sig (Izumi's ginormous husband) frowned at the dent in his wall. Ed ignored them and stormed in with his groceries, grinding his teeth together and muttering naughty words. (Not that kind of naughty, to those perverts out there.)

"Ed? What's wrong?" Kakashi asked calmly. He was more than curious about the situation, and waiting on Sakura and Izumi to come back from the hospital was a little boring.

"This guy at the hotel challenged me to a game of poker." Ed explained angrily. "I did well for the first several hands, but I could tell he'd cleaned out everyone there. At first I thought he was using alchemy." Ed set the paper bags down on the counter, and Sig quickly took them away. "But I couldn't sense anything! He bled me dry and told me to come back when I was taller! I know that weasel was cheating!" Ed looked ready to kick something.

"What did he look like?" Kakashi asked as he stood up. "If he was really cheating, maybe we can get your money back from him." It wasn't beyond Kakashi to beat up a card shark every now and then. Heck, he'd done it three times at once one drunken night. Naruto sensed the prospect of a fight, and stopped brushing the newly healed Kyuubi immediately, much to the fox's displeasure.

"He had two stress lines or something coming down from around his nose. He's got his hair in a ponytail and he's wearing blue clothes." Ed said, turning and ready to lead them to the hotel. "Him and that one-eyed guy are gonna pay!" Kakashi cocked a brow at the mention of a cyclops, since he himself lived with one eye most of the time.

Ed threw the door open and stalked back toward the hotel. Naruto looked at Kakashi, and they both shrugged. With Kyuubi in tow, the two shinobi walked out, closing the door gently behind them. (Much to Sig's relief.)

When Ed made it back, the two Uchiha were still there, though their victims – excuse me, fellow gamblers – were different. The others had obviously gone home penniless, since Itachi's bank had grown to roughly seven hundred thousand cins. Ed showed up right when another luckless loser stood up, and he pointed Itachi out to Kakashi.

"That's the guy, in the blue jacket! The other one's around here somewhere, too!" He said angrily. Kakashi scrutinized the man in blue, his memory stirring as he examined the card shark. _Wait a minute... shark... Kisame... holy cow, that has to be Itachi!_ Kakashi thought in bewilderment. He walked up swiftly to the table, Naruto close behind.

Itachi looked up when a uniformed Kakashi arrived, and he nodded at his fellow ANBU Captain. Kakashi nodded back, and took the newly vacated chair. He pulled his wallet out of his uniform jacket and fished out two thousand cins, and was handed the deck of cards. He shuffled swiftly, too fast for all but a shinobi to see. The other gamblers 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed, but Kakashi saw the weasel man's eyes darting swiftly, catching every movement. There was no question, it was Itachi. That decided, he dealt the cards. Itachi looked him in the eye, then tapped lightly on the table twice, as if thinking over his cards. It was a signal to begin a true shinobi conversation, one full of assumptions and code. Kakashi drew his new cards after discarding three, then looked up at the sky.

"Man, I hope those clouds don't block the moon tonight. I've got a date." Kakashi said morosely. Ed and Naruto gave him odd looks, but Itachi nodded at the underlying message: _Is the Akatsuki watching you, or are you free?_ Itachi did not reply, and folded his cards in favor of passing the second bet. Kakashi took the pot with a lucky three of a kind, and passed the deck to the man on his right.

"I believe that the clouds will pass before your date. She'll be able to here the dogs howl at the moon. If you're lucky, it may howl back." The other men were too focused on the game to care about their conversation, and Naruto just looked stupified. The message was: _No Akatsuki, and I'll probably clue in Naruto now that I'm not being watched._ Shinobi could be very expressive in their code. Kakashi sighed, then folded his crappy hand. He looked around for the second man, curious as to another who knew Itachi's secret, but a look from the Uchiha stopped him. He would find out later, it seemed. Another man cursed his last bill and threw it at Itachi, before stomping off much like Ed had. Naruto took that opportunity to take the seat, and pulled out three thousand cins of his own.

The three shinobi played poker and cleaned out the entire working class that day, and soon night would come. When it did, Obito would get his wish. And Naruto would find out the truth.


	12. Chapter 12

Holy Hell, it's been a while since I picked this back up. One thing that I hate about the plot bunny is it inspires all kinds of things, not just for this story. I've tried to apply some of them, but ended up taking a long road to a dead end. Anyway, I have now caught the plot bunny, and I am now negotiating its release with its long-eared associates.

* * *

Obito had run back to the hotel room the instant he had spotted Kakashi, and began putting his Akatsuki gear back on. Pants, sandals, cloak and mask; everything he had worn upon entering Amestris. His mask was good as new, thanks to some tall blonde guy they had played cards with on the train. He had clapped his hands, and voila; new mask. Obito cleared his throat, then practiced his Tobi voice.

"Tobi's a good boy! Whack-a-Mole Jutsu! Mr. Zetsu!" He yelled enthusiastically in that high-pitched, child-like voice. "Yeah, that should do it." He stretched, eager to see how Kakashi had changed in the last fifteen years. Hell, the only thing Kakashi had going back then was that new Chidori, which had been categorized as an assassination technique. _Seriously, anyone who can't hear a bunch of birds chirping behind them deserves to be killed. It's the loudest assassination jutsu in the book!_ Obito thought with a chuckle. He walked over to the window and looked out into the darkening night, where Itachi and Kakashi were probably conversing. He nodded to himself, then turned to the door. He opened it and exited the hotel room, skipping down the stairs and acting like the moron that his alter ego was. After all, Tobi was still a viable cover, if only to Kakashi and the Kyuubi jinchuriki. He jumped out the open door and into the night, then began running towards the open field he and Itachi had agreed on. Even if it was going to be a light spar, buildings could easily be destroyed. After all, Kakashi would be treating him as an enemy.

_I can't wait to see his face when he realizes I've been alive all this time... well, what part of his face I can see. I never did find out what was under that stupid mask._ Obito thought, frustrated that his attempts at winning the bet with Minato-sensei had failed. _It seems that I'll have to beat him in order to win that bet! _Obito and Minato had, long ago, made a wager as to who could see what Kakashi was hiding under his mask. Originally, a picture was required for the winner, but since the Yondaime was long dead, Obito figured that just getting a look would suffice. After all, collecting on a dead man's bet was bad luck.

When he reached the field, he found that Itachi hadn't brought Kakashi around yet. Either he was getting questioned by the Kyuubi kid, or they hadn't listened when he said he didn't want to fight. Whichever the case, he now had some spare time. Obito adjusted his mask, then decided to perfect his Whack-a-Mole Jutsu. He crossed his fingers in a popular fashion, and three clones popped up. They all turned to him, and he made a shooing motion with his hand.

"Tobi says go look like Kakashi, so Tobi can practice the Whack-a-Mole Jutsu!" He said, acting the Tobi persona just in case someone Kakashi knew was watching. The three clones all saluted, rather stupidly, and turned into replicas of Kakashi, wearing the clothes Obito had seen in the bingo book: his jounin vest, blue pants and sandals, and the hitai-ate over his left eye. The three clones then ran to different points of the field, then took up stances that Obito remembered Kakashi using. He may have changed his stances, but Obito wanted to be prepared. At their signal, he dove under ground, spraying a small amount of dust as he seemingly sank into the soil. The clones tensed, each one scanning the area and listening intently.

Silence reigned, putting the clones on edge. They kept looking in all directions, but Obito was nowhere to be found. All of a sudden, a rumble caught the clones' attention, and they all faced toward the center of the field. With the clones' attention diverted, Obito popped up behind one and whacked him with a large stick, dispelling both the transformation and the clone itself. As quickly as he had disappeared, Obito dove back into the ground before the other two clones had a chance to see him. They turned to where their fallen brother had last stood, alert for any further mischief. The two Kakashi clones closed the distance between each other, standing back to back. The ground beneath them trembled slightly, reacting to Obito's subtle movements underneath the surface. One of the clones locked eyes with a suspicious rock, one that looked a bit like Obito's spiral mask. The clone smirked under its mask and hurled a shuriken, striking the mask rock right where the eye would be. Instead of Obito dodging at the last second, the rock just split. The clone cocked its head in confusion, only to hear the shuffling of dirt behind it. The Kakashi doppleganger turned, and stumbled back in fear when it found its partner gone. The last clone looked around wildly, and jumped in fright when something brushed its leg. The clone looked down quickly, but found a ball of some sort. It was white, and appeared to be comprised of paper...

"Ah, crud."

**BOOM!** The ball of paper bombs exploded violently, throwing the clone to the ground. The copy of Kakashi groaned, thankful that it had not been dispelled. It sighed in relief, then looked around for any threats. He found several, to his immediate shock and loss of hope. Lying all around the prone Kakashi, all fizzing and approaching detonation, were dozens of ball bombs. The clone looked around, and realized that he wouldn't be able to escape the blast. His last thought was how bright the night lit up, and then the minefield went up in one giant cloud of smoke and fire. The clone was dispelled, obviously, and a huge pillar of smoke billowed from the area Obito had so graciously destroyed. A few yards from the impromptu bonfire, Obito popped up out of the ground quickly, and crossed his arms. He watched with a satisfied smirk as the crater burned.

"It's official!" He cried in the voice of his alter ego. "The Great Minefield Jutsu is a success!" Obito pumped his fist in celebration. With the field sufficiently demolished, Obito sat down cross-legged and began to wait. He couldn't practice so much that he would be out of energy when Kakashi finally appeared, so he decided to wait... and found it to be extremely difficult. The oldest living Uchiha (not counting Madara, since he kinda cheated) could rarely sit still when he was waiting for something that excited him. Generally speaking, Obito had always been hyperactive, like the Uchiha clan's very own Naruto. It was one of the traits that made his own family ostracize him. Well, that and the fact that he had mixed the laundry loads with a few generous helpings of paint. Obito's antics had often gotten him in trouble with his half-brother, Fugaku. That was one of the reasons Itachi had taken a liking to him growing up.

A series of hurried footsteps caught Obito's attention, and he eagerly turned to face the newcomer. From the trees surrounding the field, Itachi emerged, still clad in his blue civilian clothes. Obito jumped up quickly, his eyes going to the expanse of trees behind Itachi. If the younger Uchiha was coming, then Kakashi would follow right behind him, ready for battle and the startling revelation that Obito had waited more than fifteen years to give. He watched the trees, and waited... and waited... and waited. Obito frowned beneath his mask, and Itachi finally reached him. The normally stoic Uchiha's face was contorted into a grim frown, and Obito dropped the Tobi act.

"What's wrong?"

Itachi looked back towards town, where Kakashi was already working with Naruto to formulate a strategy. Needless to say, the two Uchiha would be necessary backup, but Obito's plans for revealing his face to Kakashi would be forestalled, if not tossed out completely.

"A few hours ago, the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse were kidnapped while getting medicine for their teacher." Itachi said sternly. "Since Kakashi and Naruto were here with me and the Kazekage was off doing who knows what, only Sakura could go with Izumi and Sig as support. Now, Kakashi is gearing up to go help."

(Flashback)

_ "I can't believe we raked in over a million cins with poker." Kakashi marveled, staring at the duffle bag of cash that Itachi had slung over his shoulder. The Uchiha shrugged and kept walking, though Kakashi could tell he was amused. Kakashi looked to his right, and was slightly downtrodden to see Naruto glaring holes into the back of Itachi's head. The boy's slitted crimson eyes were wide and dark, and his lip had curved up slightly to bare his fangs. The boy was barely holding himself back from murdering Itachi on the spot. With his Kyuubi predicament, Kakashi wondered who would win if the two actually faced off. Naruto had gotten a huge power boost, and his feelings toward Sasuke's older brother weren't exactly diplomatic._

_ "Naruto." Kakashi said quietly. The jinchuriki's eyes stayed on Itachi for a moment, before drifting toward the Copy Ninja._

_ "What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto growled. His voice had already taken on that gritty, animalistic undertone. He was fast approaching his breaking point, and Itachi had done nothing to him except speak. Then again, since he blamed Itachi for Sasuke's defection to Orochimaru, there wasn't really anything Itachi could do to earn Naruto's good will, short of turning Amaterasu onto himself and jumping off a cliff._

_ "Don't assume you know everything. When we get a chance to stop, Itachi will explain." Kakashi advised. He saw Naruto's eyes narrow slightly, and the blonde just faced forward without replying. If Kakashi hadn't known any better, he would have thought that Naruto had lost a little trust for him._

_ Itachi looked back at them, then stopped walking. Kakashi and Naruto followed suit, and the three just stood in the middle of the wooded path they had been traveling. Itachi gave Naruto a look of neutrality, just a blank face. Still, Naruto glared at the missing-nin. A heavy silence hung between the three, and Kakashi started to feel uneasy._

_ Finally, Itachi spoke. "You may blame me for Sasuke leaving the village, but have you ever considered that there were others who were responsible? Orochimaru, Sakura, Kakashi... perhaps even you?" The Uchiha's tone was cold, and Naruto bared his teeth in anger. Itachi continued mercilessly, and Kakashi could do nothing but look on._

_ "Have you never considered that perhaps, because of your incessant blathering about being Hokage, and friendship, and trust, that all those principles you were so proud of were lost on a boy who had seen his entire family murdered before his very eyes." Itachi said, and dropped the duffle bag. Naruto snarled at Itachi's remarks, and broadened his stance in preparation to charge. Itachi caught this action, and smirked._

_ "All this time, you blamed others for his disappearance. You blamed Orochimaru. You blamed me. You even blamed Sasuke himself. When all along, it was you that drove him away." Kakashi started to protest, but Naruto was already in motion. The jinchuriki dashed forward, claws clenched and ready to rend the Uchiha's flesh. He was within inches of slashing Itachi's face, so close to shutting the arrogant bastard's mouth, when all of a sudden Itachi was no longer there. Instead, the missing-nin had disappeared in a flash, and reappeared behind Naruto, his arm around the boy's throat. Naruto's eyes went wide in both confusion and rage, and he grunted in effort as he tried in vain to free himself._

_ "He listened to you, he trusted you, and in the end you couldn't save your best friend. I wonder how that must have felt." Itachi said. Naruto growled a warning, but was surprised when Itachi released him. The blonde stumbled forward, then wheeled around to glare at Itachi once more. The man was playing with him._

_ "I killed our family right in front of his eyes, beheaded our parents right as he walked in the door. He had nearly tripped over the bodies of people he had loved his entire life. And for that, he hates me to this day." Itachi disappeared again, though not to apprehend Naruto. This time, he appeared beside Kakashi. And he continued, despite Kakashi's weak protests and Naruto's growing rage._

_ "When our family was killed, he made a vow to destroy me. He swore that as long as I breathed, he would never find happiness. And yet," Itachi glanced at Naruto out of the corner of his eye, "you still try to save him. You try and try and try..." Itachi turned to face Naruto, his Sharingan now blazing._

_ "When you know full well that he is MY responsibility." Naruto's enraged snarl dimmed to a look of confusion. Had he heard that right? Itachi actually wanted to SAVE Sasuke? Naruto gritted his teeth again, discarding the thought._

_ "That's bullshit! I watched you kick his ass with my own eyes! And you said all that junk about not enough hatred! You were trying to get him to leave, you rotten bastard!" Naruto roared. He tried another swipe, but was put into another chokehold by Itachi. He struggled against the older man's grasp, but again had no avail. This time, Itachi's voice was right in his ear._

_ "All this time, I've been labeled a clan killer, a traitor, and a murderer. I've carried the blame for the worst massacre in the history of the Hidden Leaf." Naruto could feel Itachi's breath on his ear, but the cold feeling creeping up his spine overshadowed his anger. What was he getting at?_

_ "When all this time, no one ever knew the inner workings of the clan. And that was the goal of Operation: Weasel's Treason." Kakashi stiffened at the mention of one of the most secret ANBU assignments ever given. Only three people had known of its existence: Kakashi, Itachi, and the Sandaime Hokage._

_ "The Uchiha clan had been planning a coup d'etat, a rebellion that would have made my father, Fugaku Uchiha, the Hokage. I was ordered to infiltrate their meetings and report my findings. You can imagine the surprise of the Hokage when I told him of their treachery." Itachi pushed Naruto forward, catching the blonde off guard and making him stumble. Naruto was so caught up in examining what Itachi was saying that he didn't bother to retaliate._

_ "And so, it came down to my choice: the clan or the village. As an ANBU, I was obligated to serve the Hokage until the day I died. I held no love for our clan, so caught up in their ridiculous pride and arrogance, their rules and traditions. But when the time came for the deed to be done, there was one among my family that I could not, under any circumstances, kill." Itachi closed his eyes, and the memories of that fateful night came rushing back to him. The blood on his tanto. The fear in his clan members' eyes as he slaughtered them. Sasuke's scream of agony._

_ "Sasuke was the only person in the world that I cared deeply for. Father always neglected him, brushed him off like he would a fly." Itachi locked eyes with Naruto, who was grimacing at all the information. "Yet, when it came down to that night, he saw his precious older brother cut down our parents, and all he knew was hatred."_

_ Naruto fell to a knee, remembering all the times Sasuke had mentioned getting revenge. His friend had no idea that Itachi had saved him from death. Sasuke would forever see Itachi as the murderer everyone else did. And because of his need for revenge, because of his hatred, he sought the greatest source of power._

_ "In my early times amongst the Akatsuki, Orochimaru made several attempts to steal my body. Yet I foiled his efforts time and again, and his focused shifted to Sasuke." Itachi continued. "I came to the Leaf Village and attacked him to keep him there, not to kill him. As long as he stayed within the village, he was safe from Orochimaru. But even so, he still ran to the Snake Sannin."_

_ Kakashi stepped in between the two, and set a hand on Naruto's shoulder. The blonde jumped at the contact, but quickly relaxed. When Kakashi looked him in the eyes, he was pleased to see the jinchuriki's fury was all but gone. Now that Naruto knew the truth, retrieving Sasuke would be that much easier._

_ "Alright, you two. We should get-" Kakashi was cut off by the appearance of two figures running towards them: a person, and a fox._

(Flashback over)

"So, I won't be able to reveal myself like I had planned?" Obito asked piteously. Itachi just gave him a deadpan stare, and Obito sulked. Itachi glanced back at the road, and sighed. While Obito mourned the death of his dastardly, overly dramatic plan, Itachi's mind was elsewhere. He thought back to what the boy accompanying the Kyuubi (that thought made him shiver) had said about the Devil's Nest, and couldn't help but wonder about it.

"Uncle, we need to head back to Dublith." Itachi said firmly. Obito glanced up at him with a scowl, but nodded dejectedly all the same.

"Sure, whatever. I need to break something though. I had that planned out for a while, I was waiting for that!" He complained, clutching his head in exasperation. Itachi ignored his eccentric uncle's antics, and began walking back towards the road. Obito continued his sobbing, until he noticed his nephew was already at the road. He started, and then realized that there were legs attached to him.

"Hey, Itachi!" He cried, racing after his stoic nephew. "Wait up, would ya? Come on!"

* * *

Naruto looked at Kakashi, who was on the phone. Normally, he would have jerked the phone away and told the other person to shove it, but Kakashi was speaking to Lt. Colonel Hughes, one of their friends in the military. Apart from the now disbanded Omega and Mustang's crew, Hughes was one of the their few friends among the military. Naruto had met the guy twice, briefly though the encounters had been. He was very similar to Iruka, though the man was manipulating and crazy about his daughter. But the man could be trusted, that much was certain. As he gauged Kakashi's expressions, or at least what parts of the man's face that he could see, Hughes had stumbled across a problem. Kakashi sighed heavily, and nodded one final time.

"Thank you for letting us know, sir." He said cordially. "I'll be sure to gather my friends and head there right away. We'll report in once we know more." Kakashi heard the reply, then replaced the receiver on its pedestal. He turned to Naruto, who anxiously awaited the new information. Kakashi turned toward his student, and a forlorn look came across the man's eye.

"We have orders. And you're not going to like it." Kakashi said with a gruff tone. Naruto grimaced, but waited for the rest. He couldn't afford to overreact, as it would cost them time and patience.

"One of Hughes' subordinates, a Major Frank Archer, has decided to raid a nearby pub that has been rumored to be a haven for rebels and criminals. Unfortunately, its the same pub Sakura, Izumi, and Sig ran off to." Kakashi said as he crossed the room, where Kyuubi sat next to his kunai holster. Kakashi extended a hand to rub the diminutive demon behind its ears, and picked up his holster with the other. As he began to put it on, he continued.

"Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. But Hughes told me about Archer's personality. What he said didn't sound good." Kakashi said. He pulled the straps tight on the holster and affixed it to his leg, then let his coat fall. "According to Hughes, the word prisoner doesn't mean a thing to this man. And by some measure of espionage, he has recruited a traitor among the criminals at the Devil's Nest. Once he secures the informant, everyone else there will be considered liability. That includes the Elrics AND Sakura, not to mention Izumi and Sig. He won't hesitate to execute everyone there." Naruto started at this, and his all too familiar snarl filled the room. Kyuubi cocked his head at the boy's feral outburst, then went back to relaxing on the table. _**Amateur. Doesn't even know how to growl. **_Amazing unperturbed by Naruto's primitive snarl, Kakashi continued explaining the situation.

"Hughes caught on to this a little too late, and can't cancel the operation since it has already been approved by Fuhrer King Bradley. Major Armstrong is already on the scene, but Hughes is under the impression that Armstrong won't be enough. What he suggested is for us to go in and back Sakura up, and to get the others out safely." Kakashi concluded.

Naruto nodded, and clenched his fist in excitement. He could just _feel_ another battle coming, another chance for combat. The blood, the adrenaline rush, all of that glorious chemistry running together-

**"I'm afraid the boy won't be going."**

Naruto and Kakashi both jumped in surprise, and turned toward the source of the unknown, third voice. Well, unknown to Kakashi, at least. _Did the fox just TALK?_ Kakashi thought, his eyes wide with surprise as he looked at the small creature now looking at them both. Naruto gritted his teeth, then growled at the fox.

"Oh yeah? And what makes you say that? You're no more of an authority outside of my gut than you were in!" He snarled, his hair almost hackling up in a clear challenge. The Kyuubi bared its teeth and raised its own hackles.

**"Foolish kit! You take this newfound power for granted. All these new instincts and gifts are a product of MY chakra changing YOUR body! Learn your place in this world, youngling!"** It snarled out. Kakashi's eyes widened even more, and he took a step back from the arguing pair. He sensed danger approaching, and he doubted very much that he could stop the two if they decided to get violent.

"So? I've been changed by your chakra before, and nothing bad ever happened! Quit wasting our time trying to stop us when we should be backing up Sakura!" Naruto yelled, and turned to the door. The Kyuubi let him get to the threshold, but stopped him dead with its next statement.

**"If you go now, then the female will surely die."** Naruto paused in mid step, then whirled on the fox, his eyes alight with rage.

"What did you say?" He snarled out, this time in a low and dangerous tone. Kakashi noticed the blonde's knuckles crack from the pressure, and decided that just exiting the building might not save him. He'd have to escape the whole town.

**"I can no longer feel the store of my own chakra within your body. My link to your chakra system has been cut." **The Kyuubi explained. **"That means that your chakra coils are mutating rapidly, because you no longer need me to supply you with demonic chakra. Your body is seeking to do it for you."** A surprised gasp from Kakashi caught the Kyuubi's attention for a moment, but he quickly returned his patronizing gaze back to Naruto.

**"Your body has become so used to my chakra that it has become the status quo. The norm, if you will. Now, your chakra coils are changing in a rapid and volatile manner, and your human chakra is slowly wasting away."** The fox jumped down and trotted over to the blonde, whose snarl had died in his throat. **"Any attempt to mold chakra during this critical period of time would result in you inadvertently activating ALL of my chakra that remains in you. I highly doubt you would be able to control that power. It would rush to your head, and you would go into a frenzy similar to the one that caused our arrival in this world."**

Naruto gasped this time, the implications dawning on him finally. It would be just like when he had gone after Deidara, just before Kakashi had inadvertently brought them to this realm. He had attacked Kakashi without hesitation. What would stop him from attacking Sakura?

"You mean..."

**"Yes. One shadow clone, one Rasengan, one replacement technique, even walking across water, and you will kill everyone around you. The power would be immense, you would be unstoppable... and your precious Sakura would surely perish, along with countless others, by your hand." **The Kyuubi said ominously. Naruto and Kakashi froze immediately, eyes wide. Naruto thought back to when he had trained with Master Jiraiya in an attempt to control the Kyuubi's chakra. He knew that he couldn't handle anything over three tails. Hell, he had been at three when he had attacked Kakashi.

Kakashi's thoughts raced at the implications of what he had just heard. Considering Naruto's current volatile state, both emotionally and literally, keeping him around an area where he would get into a fight would be very dangerous. He would have to go south, or maybe to Resembool, at the very least. And the Kyuubi would have to go with him. _Either way, I'm going to have to keep him cool and collected. Some thing's just get harder and harder._

"Naruto." Kakashi said as he searched the room for a map. He looked around the shop, and finally came across one under a counter. He pulled it out and opened it, ignoring the small amount of dust that flew from its worn paper. He didn't react, but the dust sent Kyuubi and Naruto into sneezing fits. His eye ran over the aged map impatiently, examining the roads and city locations. The way to judge a city's population, and by proxy the probability of Naruto going berserk, was to check the density of roads and the close proximity of the cities, as well as each city's individual size. Judging by the size of Dublith, along with the ridiculous amount of roads that lead to it, the crossroad city was a poor choice to keep Naruto. Kakashi's eye moved east, where there were fewer, but larger cities. They were widely spaced, with only a few token towns in between. His best bet was a town in between two large cities, where the town's sole purpose was to board and entertain travelers coming to and from the two larger population centers. That slimmed it down to the area Gaara had visited earlier. _What was it... Liore. A ghost town where the military has confirmed that no more people live. A perfect place for someone seeking isolation to go. But for how long will we need to keep him alone?_ The thought brought a halt to Kakashi's planning. Exactly how long would they have to keep Naruto away from the rest of the world? It wasn't that he didn't need it. If anything, Naruto would benefit from as much isolation as the world could offer. But with Omega blow away into the wind and Sakura off helping Izumi, Kakashi had very few people he could count on. The Kazekage was AWOL, off doing something he hadn't deigned to share with the rest of them. Itachi and his mysterious partner were still running around, and Itachi had given the code phrase for a temporary release in his ruse. But the Uchiha had fallen off the map after they had been told that Sakura and Izumi had gone after the Elrics. He needed someone to back up Sakura, which meant that he couldn't accompany Naruto. If Gaara was around...

_If he doesn't show up soon, I don't care how used to sleep he's gotten. I'll make sure he doesn't sleep for a month!_ Kakashi thought darkly. After arriving in Amestris, Gaara had realized that without the spirit of Shukaku within him, he could sleep without consequence. The former insomniac now treated the practice as a holy act, and was usually very testy when prematurely awakened. Being the Kazekage, it was easy to assume that Gaara knew all about responsibility. Kakashi had no doubt Gaara was doing something important, but it would have been nice if the boy had left a message.

"Alright, if we have no other choice..." Kakashi said slowly to the recovered sneezing victims. He waved them over and they came, though Kyuubi had to stand on his hind legs and put his paws on the table. With the two looking over his shoulders, (or through the crook of his elbow) Kakashi put his finger down on Dublith, just south of Central.

"Here's where we are now." His finger traced east, and Naruto's gaze hardened as the number of cities dwindled. Kakashi's finger stopped at a town called Liore and drew an imaginary circle around it before tapping it. "And this is the town of Liore. According to both Gaara and Mustang, it was destroyed while the locals were enveloped in a civil war of sorts. There are quite a few buildings still standing, however, and I'm sure it would be much more preferable than just surviving in the desert."

Naruto and Kyuubi exchanged a look, then nodded. Kakashi brought his finger back to Dublith, and moved from the crossroads town to Liore in a gently curving fashion.

"You guys will be able to go by train until you reach Dauth. After that, it used to take a cab ride to get there. Unfortunately, there are no cabs offered for a ghost town. You'll have to walk." Kakashi said with a grin, though unseen because of his mask. Naruto scratched his chin, then waved it off.

"Eh, no big deal. We've walked farther. Besides, it's probably better, since we won't run into anyone...volatile." Naruto said with a smirk. Kyuubi just gave him a dry look, but Naruto ignored the fox. Kakashi sighed at the two, and wondered if it was already a lost cause. His eyes glided over the clock, and he was startled with how much time had passed. It was nearly an hour before nightfall, and he still had to back up Sakura.

"All right, you two," Kakashi said seriously. "Be very careful, and stay away from any unnecessary conflict. As soon as Naruto is safe to return, get your asses back here. Understood?"

"You got it."

**"As you wish."**

Kakashi led the way out the door, and they locked it behind them. Kakashi glanced over the two one last time, then nodded. He received two nods in return. With that, he jumped off, dashing toward the Devil's Nest. Naruto clenched the muscles in his legs in preparation to go bounding off as well, but he was halted by Kyuubi's growl.

**"Ah ah ah. None of that. Remember, NO CHAKRA. I know it will be hard, but try not to kill everyone by wanting to go a little faster, hm?"** The fox said imperiously. Naruto gave him a deadpan look, but relaxed anyway. Together, the two began their trip east, with nothing but the clothes on Naruto's back.

* * *

"Sir, the Devil's Nest has been marked. Two of our targets are heading there, and two are there already." A voice echoed in the dusty, dark room. A soft grunt acknowledged the report, but there was no reply. It was a silent sign to continue.

"Despair and the pink-haired medic are both heading to the pub. The Elrics are already there. The military are planning to move in and 'rescue' the Elrics, but there seems to be a more sinister purpose." The scout said, ending his report and exiting the room. As the door closed with a heavy _bang_, Jack Krauser sat alone in the darkness. He contemplated the situation that was unraveling across the country. As far as the Homunculi were concerned, his organization did not care. Sure, his spies reported their movements, and he liked to know if one of the little monsters was pulling strings in an odd situation, but he never really saw a reason to mess with them. They were doing a decent enough job of causing mayhem throughout the country, so who was he to stop them?

The bitter remains of Taskforce Omega, however, were another kettle of fish. Death and Despair had dropped off the radar momentarily, and their equally powerful friends were playing bodyguard with the Elrics. While the young Alchemists played no significant part in Krauser's plans, the warriors guarding them had thwarted not one, but two of his schemes. The way he saw it, Omega was a threat to be eliminated.

But how to go about such a daunting endeavor? The captains of Omega had shown their uncanny abilities in battle rarely, but it was more than enough for Jack to know that a head-on attack would be ill advised. And so, he decided to go with option B: bait and trap. And with Despair's medic going into a high hostility zone, it would be the perfect time for a skillful abduction. He couldn't take any chances, however. The pink-haired girl had shown her ridiculous strength on the Black Hand's failed train attack, and he knew one punch could decapitate a man. _This deserves my full attention. I'm going to need Dakota for this one._ With that thought, Krauser mashed an intercom button on his chair, alerting the person outside to enter.

A blonde man stepped through the doorway, and Jack's eyes fell upon his partner in crime (literally) for almost ten years. Dakota's hair fell down across his right eye, obscuring it from view but only slightly hampering his vision. A single blue eye gazed out at Jack, and a wry smirk formed on Dakota's features. He wore a leather jacket filled with secret pockets and compartments, and with a furry collar to protect him from cold. His hands were covered by fingerless gloves, and he wore dark blue jeans. Black boots poked out from underneath the jeans, and a holster for his Ruger semi-automatic pistol hung on his right hip. All in all, Dakota Forrest looked the business. He raised his right hand and gave a lazy two-fingered salute, which Jack returned.

"What's the situation, boss?" Even his tone was cocky, but Jack let it slide. If anyone deserved to be laid back around him, it was Dakota. Jack reached under his desk and produced a surveillance picture of Omega's pink-haired medic. She was in the middle of removing a Black Hand member's pistol from where it had been embedded in his skull. He pushed the photo toward Dakota. The blonde man picked it up and examined it, then whistled appreciatively.

"You really know how to pick 'em, boss. I'm guessing you want her dead?" Dakota said lazily. A glow emitted from the back of his glove, and the picture was ripped to pieces by an unseen force. As the paper fluttered to the stone floor below, Jack's grin diminished slightly. Dakota was so used to hits, he had forgotten that there were other things you could do to a target besides kill them. Maiming and torture were also perfectly acceptable. But Dakota had slept in the day they had been taught that in Central. Killing was his preferred method of solving problems. Of course, he took it to the extreme, and those problems included mundane tasks like cooking.

"No, actually. She poses no large threat." Jack said. Across from him, Dakota cocked a brow at his long time friend. The reason he had automatically assumed it was an assassination was because that had been the nature of his last seven assignments. It seemed that Krauser was more inclined for a different approach this time.

"No, what I need you to do is capture her. While losing her will do no damage to the military – seeing as she was never recruited – her compatriots in Omega will undoubtedly come looking for her." Jack gave Dakota a level stare. "I can only hope you can pull this off."

Dakota chewed on his lip, thinking it over. Capturing an enemy was always more difficult than killing them. Even if you had to bring back evidence, you didn't have to feed a decapitated head or keep it quiet while you traveled. And South City was a large, popular place, with very few hiding spots and hundreds of witnesses at every corner. Still, the challenge intrigued him...

"Devil's Nest, you said?" Dakota asked, standing up and running through a list of things he would need in his mind.

"Yes. In the south-west quadrant of the city. When you get her, bring her here. Try to leave a trail, but don't go over the top." Jack instructed. "Dauth should be the last town before you run into the desert. Once you're there, you will be able to make it back without further trouble."

"Yeah, yeah," Dakota said distractedly. "You've told me this a hundred times." He turned to the door with a casual wave, and Jack looked back down at his papers. He heard the door start to close, but it paused.

"One more thing."

Jack looked up at Dakota, eyebrow raised.

"Anything I should do if I encounter Despair?"

The answer was obvious: "Kill him."

* * *

No, it won't be Naru/Saku fic. I don't plan on doing any pairings. But there's nothing that gets a primal rage going like a missing female. Ja ne!


	13. Chapter 13

Um... I got nothing.

* * *

Kakashi eyed the entrance to the Devil's Nest warily. It was the perfect hideout for a group of criminals. They wouldn't even have that organized. There was only one entrance, and you couldn't lob very many explosives in without caving in the entrance. It was obvious that there were other entrances hidden away, underground perhaps, but from his point of view, it seemed as though the soldiers hadn't found it yet. That meant that Archer – a name Kakashi was gradually finding synonymous with 'dumbass' – was planning to charge in and kick down the door. Kakashi sighed heavily at the prospect of so many needless deaths. This was why a Hokage was chosen based upon both power _and_ leadership ability. If your leader was a powerhouse with the political expertise of a three year old, your country was doomed. That was one of the few clear reasons – back then, anyway – that Orochimaru had been denied the position of Hokage. The man had been strong, but he lacked the true faith to give himself to the village. This had resulted in Orochimaru throwing his little hissy fit – pun intended – and leaving the village.

Kakashi turned back around and leaned against the brick wall behind him. According to what he had overheard, Sakura and the others weren't in a very good position. Archer had ordered that one person be extracted from the bar: Kimbly. The Crimson Alchemist had apparently made some sort of arrangement or agreement with Archer, and had defected. That betrayal had led to Archer discovering the Devil's Nest so quickly. If Hughes hadn't been watching his subordinate carefully, Kakashi never would have gotten the heads up that he had, since the man had 'forgotten' to alert his superior. Thankfully, it had taken time for Archer to gather his incursion team. Among the ranks of the said squad was Major Armstrong, a trusted friend and adviser to Colonel Mustang. With Armstrong around, it would be easier to save the Elrics. Armstrong held the boys' safety very high on his priority list; he wouldn't let any soldiers kill them in cold blood. Sakura was likely fair game, since Armstrong had never met her, but she could handle herself.

_Now, where did that wayward student of mine go? I swear, she's always been brash..._ Kakashi thought with an amused chuckle. He looked around the corner again, then slowly began planning his entrance. It was obvious he would face opposition as soon as he entered the bar; rat nests like this one didn't last long without their patrons keeping an eye out. Odds were, those inside were already prepared for the assault. But like some warmongering retard, Archer had waited, savoring the preparations before the battle. Idiot.

Kakashi rolled his shoulders in preparation, then turned the corner at a very relaxed, natural gait, like he belonged there. Since he was in a black military uniform, it wasn't a hard ruse to play. He discreetly lifted his headband just before he reached the soldiers guarding the staircase that led down into bar, though he kept his left eye closed.

A lieutenant was pointing towards a photograph he had in his hands, while the other soldiers were clustered around him. He was speaking in a normal tone, but Kakashi couldn't make out the words until right on top of the man.

" - and if any of you see him, contact either Lt. Colonel Archer, Major Armstrong, or myself. We have to get him alive, or he won't be of any use." The man notice Kakashi and turned abruptly, seeming somewhat irritated. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Kakashi set a pair of cold, hard eyes onto the lieutenant, and the man's temper was largely calmed by his fear. He took an unconscious step back, and Kakashi knew that he had the man.

"I take it you're in charge of this entrance, Lieutenant?" Kakashi asked imperiously, keeping his voice stern. The lieutenant nodded an affirmative, then looked Kakashi over. His stare lingered on Kakashi's mask, then came back up to the ex-Omega captain's eyes.

"Yes sir, I am. But the Lt. Colonel didn't say that he was sending one of his Omega men down here. But I guess I didn't need to know, eh?" The man said nervously, trying to get a chuckle out of Kakashi. The silver-haired man just gave him a dead stare, showing no emotion, but inside Kakashi was reeling. Archer had taken over Omega? What had happened to Mustang? And why hadn't he been told? _Something's off here,_ Kakashi thought warily. He nodded impatiently and brushed past the man. Or tried to, at least. Kakashi stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and opened his left eye, revealing his swirling Sharingan, and glared into the now fearful eyes of the clueless lieutenant. He quickly infiltrated the man's feeble mental defenses and placed a genjutsu that made him agree with everything, all within a second of eye contact with Kakashi's Sharingan. The lieutenant's grasp slackened, and Kakashi closed his eye quickly to hide the Sharingan from the other soldiers.

"Archer gave me permission himself." Kakashi said authoritatively. "I'm going inside for reconnaissance. Don't let anyone come in until I return." With that, Kakashi walked down the stairs, the man's hand falling from his shoulder. Behind him, he heard the lieutenant start shouting orders. These people were so easy to manipulate. Kakashi reached the large wooden door and tried the latch. Unsurprisingly, it was locked up tightly, and the door was heavy. It would be difficult to get in without someone allowing him entrance. With the soldiers running all over the place, obviously surrounding it, getting in would be dicey. Kakashi could make his own entrance, but that could start off the raid prematurely. No, what he needed was a discreet entrance that would leave him invisible to both the crooks and the military. As he thought over his options, a scenario popped up into his mind. A dastardly, cunning scenario that would get him inside without even revealing his identity. And he could even take out every guard along the way, if he played his cards right...

* * *

Gerald had been doorman for the Devil's Nest for eight years. In those eight years, the bald giant had learned to differentiate between regulars and newbies. He had also discovered how to tell the difference between a haggard criminal looking for a drink and a cleverly placed undercover cop or plant. The bar had been saved multiple times due to his perceptive sleuth-snooping skills. He could smell a fake coming from a mile away.

After the military had shown up, however, the criminals inside were starting to get antsy. Under normal circumstances, Gerald would show the guy in charge their permit, slip him a few cins, and the guy would go on his merry way. But here, it seemed as if Greed's actions at the estate of some old rich lady had brought about some problems for the Devil's Nest. As it stood, Gerald wasn't in the best frame of mind at the moment, even with his superior 'fake' sense.

A knock on the door aroused both Gerald's attention and suspicion. With all the soldiers running around, anyone knocking at the door was either a scared shitless crook, a military negotiator, or a sneak. The actual soldiers would just kick the door in and start blasting. It was with this in his mind that Gerald slid the eye port open and gazed suspiciously out at the visitor.

A man stood outside the door, panting and looking around frantically. He had brown hair that fell on either sides of his face, and wore a black do rag. He wore a red shirt and khaki shorts with a pair of brown sandals. A toothpick barely stayed in his mouth as he continued to examine his surroundings. Gerald looked around too, amazed that the man had made past the soldiers. He sure as hell wasn't acting like an undercover cop.

"Whaddaya want?" Gerald asked gruffly. The man turned around quickly and started pulling futilely on the door.

"Let me in, man! I gotta get something to Kimbly!" The man said pleadingly, casting a glance behind him every two seconds. He seemed genuinely frightened, and no red flags were going off in Gerald's head. Still, he had to be sure.

"Whatcha got for old Kimbly? Is it his medicine? You know he don't walk so good nowadays..." Gerald said naturally. Kimbly could walk just fine, but did this man know that? To his credit, the man's incredulous expression was almost laughable.

"The fuck you talkin' about, man? Kimbly said he wanted some potassium, so I got him some. Now let me in before those mooks upstairs find me!" Gerald rolled his eyes. It sounded legit; Kimbly was always asking around for stockpiles of explosive ingredients. Just because the man could make things go boom with his hands didn't mean he didn't like to actually make a few bombs here and there. A timer could work wonders for a hardened criminal like him.

"Figures he'd send street trash," Gerald said offhandedly. "What's you're name? I'll let him know you're coming." The man outside wasted no time in answering.

"Just tell him that Conroy has his next package. This shit'll explode if I spit on it, so could ya please hurry?" The crook asked insistently, casting another glance behind him.

Gerald unbolted the giant door and swung it inside to allow for room. The courier zipped in quickly, and the steel door closed right behind him. The doorman locked the heavy door right back and held a hand out to halt the courier.

"Wait here. I'll go find Kimbly." Gerald said with a knowing look. The courier let out an exasperated sigh.

"Come on, I can't even nab a drink?" He whined. Gerald just shook his head and headed deeper into the hideout, leaving the man from the street with two thin rat-faced body guards. They glared at the little man, as if telepathically daring him to do something wrong. And with a puff of smoke, he DID do something wrong. Not that they were prepared for it.

A column of smoke enveloped the courier, making the two guards gasp in amazement. The smoke quickly cleared, revealing a man in a black military uniform with a shock of white hair and a face mask.

"Hey there." Kakashi said amiably, giving his lazy wave/eye smile combo. The two thugs looked at him incredulously, too taken by surprise to block the punches to their heads that knocked them immediately unconscious. Reaching into his jacket, Kakashi pulled out a coil of rope, and tied the two thugs up in front of the door. For added insult, he added a note for when Gerald came back to find a very infuriating scene.

"Now then," Kakashi said to himself. "time to even the odds." He put his fingers into a cross, and eight copies appeared behind him. Together, Kakashi and his clones stealthily entered the hideout.

After they exited the atrium, Kakashi and his clones found a somewhat shady bar. Several men were nursing drinks in silence, while a few had paired off and talked quietly in corner booths. There was no sense of joy or mirth here, like there had been the last time Kakashi had entered a bar. It was a quiet rat's nest, designed solely for those dodging the military to wallow in their misery. Kakashi kept close to the doorway and examined the bar itself. The barkeep, a balding man most likely in his mid fifties, sat in the corner of the bar, polishing a broken mug. On the counter, near his hand, were two pistols, likely loaded and cocked. Kakashi winced when he saw that. It meant he would have to be fast. Kakashi turned and looked at his clones and nodded. They returned his nod, and he held up eight fingers: eight targets. They nodded again, and he raised his hand. All nine of them tensed, ready to move as soon as Kakashi gave the signal. Kakashi waiting watching the barkeep intently. When the older man turned around, Kakashi's hand dropped, and the doppelgangers dashed out into the bar. Each one found its target: a pressure point on each criminal's neck. They moved swiftly, fingers jabbing forward in a silent takedown. None of the crooks saw it coming, and soon all were blissfully unconscious, seemingly in drunken stupors.

The original Kakashi, however, moved up toward the barkeep. Apparently, however, the man had been a veteran warrior, and had turned around the moment the first head hit the table. When he did, he saw Kakashi running towards him. The elderly man dropped his glass and reached for his pistols. A kunai in his right hand halted one, but the man had discipline, and only let a grunt of pain escape as he pointed the other pistol directly in Kakashi's face. Thankfully, Kakashi's training kicked in, and he pushed the man's hand up with one hand as he drove a second kunai into the barkeep's throat with the other. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop the gun from going off directly above his head. The loud BANG nearly deafened him, as close as it was to his ear. The gunshot echoed throughout the hideout, and the clones dispelled themselves hastily.

Recovering from his shock, Kakashi dove over the bar, tackling the dying man who now stared dully ahead, his pupils dilating in the final stages of death. Just as the two bodies his the ground, the doorman came back in.

Gerald examined the area keenly, his own pistol in his hand. He spotted every single patron nose down on the tables, but ignored them. The barkeep was missing, and Gerald knew he was the only armed man in the upper portion of the Devil's Nest. Instantly alert, Gerald slowly crossed the room, watching for any signs of an ambush. He reached the bar without incident, however, and looked over the edge. He spotted a bit of blood, an empty shell casing, and what looked like a really weird knife. Someone had taken the barkeep down, and they had done it with a _knife._ Instantly on edge, Gerald half ran, half walked back to the door where he had left the courier. When he entered the atrium, however, his face purpled with rage.

Hanging in front of the door, unconscious, were the two guards he'd left with Kimbly's package man. Said courier was nowhere to be seen, but a note was hanging on the two unconscious men. Gerald ripped the offending paper from where it was fastened, and began to read.

_ Doorman,_

_ As you can see, these two idiots were no real challenge. You should really see about recruiting better fighters than pickpockets. The military will be barging in here anytime now, but that doesn't really matter. What does matter is, I tracked you down, I found your people's little nest. And now I'm inside. Thanks for being an excellent doorman._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Despair_

_ P.S: Look out behind you._

Heeding the advice a bit too late, Gerald turned around – just in time to read the etchings on the bottom of Kakashi Hatake's boot. The large man his the ground with a thud, his pistol clattering over the cold floor. Kakashi brushed the dust from his shoulders and sighed, then headed into the hallway Gerald had come from. Sure enough, a flight of stair led deeper into the ground, where a dimly lit tunnel turned to the right. Shaking his head at the cliché feel the whole situation had, Kakashi cautiously descended the staircase, delving down into the belly of the beast.

* * *

Sakura could not believe what had just happened. Alchemy was an amazing science, by every right. She had watched in amazement as Izumi and her shorter student had thrown wave after wave of alchemic attacks at the Homunculus known as Greed. She watched in wonder as a stone fist completely encased him, only for a concrete block to be sent onto a crash course with his face. But then, after that display of skill and power, all the man did was smirk.

"C'mon, you guys. It's not like I'm being unreasonable here." Greed said lazily. He sounded as if he were completely sure of himself, a fact Sakura did not like. Not one bit. To prove her point, the solid stone fist that had attempted to crush him before shattered, revealing his arms and torso. To Sakura's surprise, his hands up to his forearms were coated in a strange black material.

"All I want is the secret to your brother's seal. Tell me that, and you can all three walk out of here with my blessing." Greed said, then raised his arm to block a swipe from Ed's arm and his leg to stop a kick from Izumi.

"What the hell makes you think I'd tell you anything?" Ed demanded hotly, his automail blade grating along Greed's mysterious coating. Greed just grinned wider, then came across with a haymaker. Ed ducked under the blow just as Izumi caught it. The alchemy teacher used the Homunculus' momentum and threw him into the wall, cracking the surface and sending to the ground with a thud. He didn't move for a second, but then a groan was heard.

"Ouch. Quite a throw for a medically challenged woman." Greed climbed out of the heap he had fallen into and stood, no worse for wear. "But seriously, you think you two can beat me? I'm immortal, I can take anything you can dish out, and I haven't even attacked outright." He said, that infuriating smirk still on his face as he examined his nails in mock boredom. Ed and Izumi both growled in anger, but it was Sakura who blocked them both. The pink-haired medic had examined Greed's strategy, and had already thought of a way to counter it.

"Get Al out of here. I'll handle Greed." She said firmly. Not one to argue with a temperamental woman, Ed quickly cut Al's bonds and led him away, Izumi doing her best to keep Greed's goons away from them as they ran. Greed watched the two run away and his smirk faded.

"Ah, crud. Now I gotta go catch them again. Why do you new people keep causing headaches around here?" He asked with a groan. Sakura blinked, then settled into her stance. Greed noticed this, then figured talking was over.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you, girl." The substance on his hands extended all the way up to his shoulders, leaving only his face the normal color. It was disconcerting, Sakura had to admit, but she still wanted to punch his lights out.

Sakura made the first move. More quickly than Greed expected, she crossed the room in a flash, sending a vicious kick into the side of his knee. The surprised Homunculus turned and hit the ground kneeling, off balance. Not wanting to give him time to recover, the Hokage's apprentice grabbed Greed around the crown of his head with one hand and threw him face first into the ceiling. Greed stuck there for a split second, his head stuck in the new hole she had made, allowing her to grab his ankle. The medic ninja tore Greed from the ceiling and slammed him down into the ground with enough force to send fractures running to every corner of the room. She grunted with effort as she picked him up and slammed him again. And again. And again. The dazed Homunculus was finally released, and his smirk returned as his brain caught back up with his skull.

"That was pretty nice, there. If I'd have been a weakling human, that probably would have shattered my entire nervous system." Greed said patronizingly. He didn't see the scowl cross the kunoichi's face, but he DID see the two feet coming straight down on HIS face. Sakura's kick drove him deeper into the ground, forming a crater at least thirty feet in diameter, which nearly took up the entire floor of the room. She knelt down, straddling him, and proceeded to do her absolute best to turn Greed's head in to mush.

THWACK! THOCK! CRACK! Over and over again, she punched him. The man's head snapped back and forth from every blow, and she was pretty sure she'd heard his neck snap after the second punch. Sill, Sakura knew that such an injury wouldn't kill a Homunculus. And so, she just kept punching him, over and over again, until she could hardly feel her knuckles anymore. The kunoichi finally stopped the incessant beating, panting heavily, and stood up to admire her handiwork.

The thirty foot crater had grown into a forty foot crater, deepened to roughly three feet. The area around Greed's head had been depressed into the ground so far that his neck was at a ninety degree angle with his back, normally fatal to humans. But Sakura knew, she just _knew_, that he was still alive.

_Not even Sasori made me hit that hard to no effect._ She thought as her breath came in ragged breaths. Sure enough, one of Greed's black hands came up to the hole his head had decided to did to Xing. With a sickening CRACK, Greed's neck became whole once more. With his body restored, the man slowly lifted his head until his eyes met Sakura's. He grinned, but then focused on something behind her, eyes wide in surprise.

Sakura never felt the needle enter her skin, but she did feel the foreign liquid enter her veins like cold fire. Her eyes became heavy as the tranquilizer took effect, and her equilibrium went to shit. The medic hit the ground hard, falling into the crater the land next to Greed. The Homunculus ignored his now unconscious opponent, instead focusing on the newcomer.

"Dakota Forrest, what a surprise." Greed said sardonically. His aloof smirk from earlier disappeared completely, leaving behind a dark scowl. "What do you want now?"

Dakota smirked at Greed's ire. He'd been the one to tail the Homunculus countless times, and had even been able to boast that he'd beat Greed in battle. Once. Naturally, he wasn't on that particular Homunculus' Christmas card list.

"Let's just say that Jack is interested in that little specimen you've got there. And judging by the fight you guys just had," he glanced around the room, "I can see that the tranquilizer was my best bet. Jack never told me she could shatter bones."

Greed stood up quickly, growling his annoyance. Above them, gunshots rang out in the bar, most of them rifles. The military had arrived. Greed snorted in amusement, and relaxed his pose.

"Fine, take her. God knows how much hell is going to come down on you when you do." He glanced down at the teenager that had succeeded in beating him, literally, into the ground. "And it won't come from her."

Dakota waved off Greed's warning and scoffed. "If you think Despair's going to be any challenge, you're sadly mistaken." His voice oozed confidence, which made Greed feel a little bit better about his next words.

"Despair is child's play compared to the other one. Death is the Omega you should fear." He leaned forward, invading Dakota's personal space. The hit man leaned back only slightly, but Greed could tell he was listening intently.

"Heed my words, Forrest. Death is _not human._ He keeps a fox with him at all times. He has strength much greater than what bubblegum here just did. He killed Envy four times before the oldest Homunculus I know was sent crying back to its master. And he will come for you and Jack, all the same."

Dakota snorted, but Greed could tell he was intimidated. NO ONE had kicked Envy's ass before, let alone killed him. But if someone – or, some_thing_ – had killed him four times, then they were in over their heads. Dakota bent down and picked up the unconscious girl, slinging her over his shoulder. He turned around and started to walk toward the maintenance corridor that had gotten him inside in the first place.

"Dakota."

The hit man stopped, but didn't turn around. That was good enough for Greed.

"I heard he hunts by smell. So I suggest you clean those clothes _real_ good, or else you're going to regret it." With that, Greed opened the door and took off down the main hall, where his subordinates had already fled. Dakota stood there, frowning. The comment cycled through his head several times, before it was filed away like everything else. Dakota Forrest did what he always did: shrugged, lit a cigarette, and then made his escape.

* * *

Kakashi had heard the sounds of a Sakura-esque battle from several hundred meters down the corridor. Unfortunately, the echo had led him to several empty rooms and supply closets. As he approached two double metal doors, however, a man burst out of them. He looked at Kakashi, and the jounin saw the slitted pupils of the Homunculus. Deciding running was better than fighting, the man took off down the hallway. Kakashi followed closely.

Greed led his pursuer through several sewer drainage tunnels, somehow keeping ahead even with Kakashi's advanced speed. The two ran all over, until finally an iron door brought the two into what looked like a cabin. On the other side, Greed had expected to find his cronies, waiting for the orders to kill the man behind him. He found his subordinates when he opened the door, alright. But it wasn't what he expected.

Every one of his followers, all of the chimeras, lay in the center of the room in a massive pool of blood. Each one had been shot once in the head and twice in the chest, standard military procedure. Greed felt a rush of rage as he gazed upon the corpses of his comrades, but that rage quickly tempered into terror when he looked up. For standing on the other side of the grotesque pile of dead bodies, clutching a skull in one hand and a pocket watch in the other, was Kimbly. And behind him were roughly a dozen soldiers, all of whom had their weapons pointed at Greed.

"What..." Greed was speechless, unable to express his emotions with the spoken language. But one word, burning with all encompassing hatred within his mind, had been plastered all over Kimbly in Greed's mind: _traitor_.

"Hey boss." The Crimson Alchemist said with a smirk. He looked down at the dead chimeras. "Looking for them?"

The chimeras that Greed had liberated from Laboratory Five, the men and women who had pledged their lives and loyalty to Greed for doing something as simply as offering room and board and occupation, lay dead before him. All of them slaughtered because of the actions of a traitor. Kimbly had been accepted into their little band of misfits. He'd had the same privileges, the rights, as the rest of them. But he had thrown it all away for the sake of money and death. That single thought burned in Greed like a thousand bright coals.

"You bastard!" Greed spat, unable to contain himself. "They had helped you! We all busted you out of prison! We gave you a home, a life, a fucking _purpose!_ And you just turn back over to the military like that? BULLSHIT!"

Kimbly's eyes widened in mock sympathy. The man's smug expression, however, seemed to be a default face.

"Well, I always like government sanctioned slaughter better than the freelance stuff. I get paid royally to kill the people I hate. Win-win, ya know?" Just as Kimbly raised his hand to order the attack, the skull in his hand rendering Greed defenseless, Kakashi burst through the door. His arrival was ignored by the still seething Greed, but Kimbly's smirk turned into a scowl.

"Well well. The former captain of Omega ins consorting with the Homunculi." He said savagely. The soldiers behind him looked at each other in confusion, but then slowly trained their rifles to target Greed AND Kakashi. "I wonder how that'll go down with Mustang..."

The rifles clacked loudly as rounds were chambered, and the last thing Greed felt before everything went black was Kakashi's hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Naruto was starting to see why Gaara had been so crazy when he'd first met him. It wasn't that the boy had family problem. It wasn't the demon locked inside of him, preventing him from sleeping. No. It was the freaking desert.

Another gust full of sand slammed into Naruto's face, making him cough and sputter. Beside him, Kyuubi kept his head down, trying to keep the sand from flying into his eyes. Both demon and container had been walking for quite a while, even stopping to rest in the shelter of a sand dune. But the the wind had kicked up, and the two had run into quite the sandstorm. Since they were going to get buffeted either way, the two decided to cover some ground while to storm rage. It wasn't the best idea.

"How much farther?" Naruto yelled over the howling wind. Kyuubi's ear twitched, and he squinted to see in the distance. Due to his condition, he wasn't able to use chakra to keep his feet above the sand, making each step twice as laborious.

**"I can't tell. The farthest I can see is about two hundred feet. Past that, I'm as blind as you are." **The demon fox said with a sigh. **"However, if you're sensei's direction were right, we should come up on Liore before the end of the day."**

Naruto nodded, but then gritted his teeth as an especially harsh spray of sand found its way into his shirt, chaffing and grinding against his skin in the most irritating ways possible.

The two continued as such for two hours, until the storm died down. After doing their best to clean themselves of any remaining sand, they had simply walked for three more hours, only stopping to rest and check their course. Neither of the two had brought anything to drink, but then again, they weren't traveling far. As they crested a large sand dune, Naruto's eyes caught sight of vague structures in the distance. He grinned, glad that their time in the desert was coming to a close. Kyuubi saw it as well, and together the two picked up their pace slightly.

"When they got closer, they could clearly see the ruins of the deserted town. Naruto grinned at the prospect of learning his new abilities. Kyuubi, however, was just glad that the desert was finally ending. The two trudged on, and the town slowly got closer and closer. As they got closer, however, Naruto's eyes picked out small shapes moving about inside the supposedly abandoned city.

"Do you see that?" He asked, shielding his eyes from the sun to get a better view. Kyuubi sniffed the air, then growled. Before Naruto could ask what was wrong, however, the sand in front of them exploded in a hail of gunfire.

* * *

Overdue, but still put a good bit of effort. Still tracking down the muse for this story. I'm coming to the end of my notes.


	14. Chapter 14

Been a while since I last thought about this story. But now I know how to proceed. I've been going through Disturbed's B tracks on their new CD, and one song inspired the scene I was missing. **Mine** by _Disturbed._

* * *

The bullets tore at the ground all around them, forcing the two companions to seperate and find cover among the rocks and dunes of the desert. Naruto could see the gunners: shadowed figures, black against the blinding sands. They had set up on the perimeter of Liore, with hidden positions among the ruins. The steady _duh-duh-duh-duh-duh_ of automatic fire meant the rounds flying past his head were probably the size of a finger. Whoever these guys were, they meant business.

Naruto shifted his stance, waiting for either the ammo to run out or the barrels to overheat as they continued to pound his position. Across the 'road', Kyuubi noticed his body language and gave a loud bark. Naruto froze and looked towards his canine companion in curiosity.

**"Don't try anything!"** The demon roared over the hail of bullets. **"Healing a wound from one of these rounds would destabilize you! I'll take care of them!"** When he heard that, Naruto cursed to himself and hunkered down deeper behind cover. Without the ability to safely use his chakra, his strategies were severely limited.

As the roar of gunfire dwindled down to the occasional pop and crack, he watch Kyuubi hackle up, muttering in some unknown language. And to Naruto's disbelieving eyes, the Kyuubi just blew away into the wind like dust, nowhere to be seen. Naruto was about to panic and looked around desperately, only for his eyes to pick out the faint indentations of paw prints in the loose sand farther away from the road. Somehow, without handsigns, the fox had made itself invisible! Naruto noted to badger the vulpine until it spilled that little secret later, but for now he settled in to wait. The guns remained silent, although the steady sounds of footsteps through sand could be heard. The men were coming to look for him.

As handicapped as he was, Naruto was still above any normal human in both strength and speed. If they got close enough, he'd be able to dispatch them with taijutsu. He slowed his breathing in preparation, calming himself and focusing on the approaching footsteps, though he couldn't deny the rising excitement at the thought of a fight. Just when a hand reached around the rock in an attempt to grab him, Naruto moved.

(Begin playing **Old Friend** by _Disturbed__**, **_which I do not own.)

He caught the wrist of the stupid man with lightning speed and pulled, slamming the startled victim into the rock that separated them. Dazed, his captive slumped to the side slightly, allowing Naruto a look at his face and submachine gun. A dark-headed, punch-drunk man greeted Naruto's eyes, and he began his dance. He yanked again, pulling the man towards him. The soldier fell with the tug, not coherent enough to resist. With merciless precision, Naruto applied a strong palm thrust to the outside of the man's elbow, inverting it and breaking his arm. The pain snapped the soldier out of his stupor, and he howled in agony and dropped his weapon – an opportunity Naruto had been waiting for. Before it could hit the ground, Naruto struck the man in the throat, crushing his windpipe, and snatched the submachine gun out of the air. With it in hand, Naruto jumped up over the rock he had taken refuge behind. He found three soldiers, all in brown and tan shrouds used for desert camouflage, guns down and jaws agape as he cleared a twelve-foot tall boulder in a single leap.

Naruto sighted up on the man to his left, firing the submachine gun one-handed. It bucked more than he expected, taking his aim up and to the right, but the results were satisfactory: the man cried out in pain as bullets pierced his chest, eight rounds chewing up from his sternum and through his left shoulder. This brought the others into action, albeit slowly. As the other two guns came up, Naruto came down. He tossed his half empty gun at the man farther away, knocking him to the ground with a bloody nose. The man closer to him pointed his rifle at Naruto, but the blonde already had a hand around the barrel and was off to the side. Naruto threw the rifle away from him, opening the soldier's guard. Two lightning-quick punches to his chest robbed the man of his breath, and the roundhouse kick sent him to the ground, rifle flying away as he spun through the air.

The other soldier had recuperated, and opened fire. Naruto dove sideways and rolled, using the boulder to his advantage. The soldier cursed at his pain and his failure to shoot Naruto, and the sound of pounding boots on dry rock signaled he was coming around. Naruto thought quickly and leapt back over the boulder silently, just when the soldier rounded the corner. The man stopped in confusion, expecting to find Naruto. In a way, he did, though the elbow to the back of his head was regrettably not how he expected to do so.

As the man fell, Naruto turned toward Liore – just in time to see six more soldiers, all brandishing swords, of all things. They were lead by a big bear of a man with an automail arm, which clutched a rather unorthodox claymore. Apparently it was interchangeable with the light machine gun on his back, but that was irrelevent. The six men converged on Naruto, who allowed them to circle him. Two of them checked on their fallen companions, but merely shook their heads at the questioning looks from the others. This brought a ripple of anger to the soldiers, and the big man spoke up.

"Hey, you! Who the hell do you think you are?" He barked. Naruto could almost feel the spittle fly from his mouth. "What makes you think you can take on the Black Hand, huh? We'll leave you in a ditch for this, you little prick." At the mention of this, the motly crew of warriors readied their weapons. Naruto just smirked.

"Then by all means, let me make you one."

The big man was doubled over Naruto's fist before anyone else could move. Blood flew from his mouth from the force of the blow, and the follow up three punch combo to his stomach did little to help his condition. The others watched in horrified awe as Naruto swept the man's legs out from under him, crushed him into the ground with an axe kick, and then punted him toward Liore, leaving a wide, deep furrow in the hard desert dirt.

As the dust settled from their commander's humiliating defeat, the five remaining rebels decided that numbers would win the battle, and they all charged at once.

Naruto jumped over a low cut toward his knees and kicked the attacker in the face, sending him flying and making him drop his sword. Another tried a diagonal slash as soon as he hit the ground, forcing Naruto to bend out of the way. He scooped the dropped sword up as he did, and buried it to the hilt through the man's chest just in time for the other three assailants to reach him. He released the sword, since it would take too long to retrieve, and ducked under another slash while batting a stab to the side.

He kicked out at one man's leg slowly in a feint, making the rebel step back far enough for Naruto to hit him with a jumping front kick that pushed him to the ground and crushed him into it, his wretched shrieks dying prematurely as his lungs were deflated. The others swung simultaneously, one high and the other low, only for Naruto to leap above both of them and land on their backs. With their swords pinned, the two men were helpless as Naruto grasped the left one's arm and pulled it back, earning him a cutlass and an agonized scream as the man's shoulder was dislocated. With his new short sword, Naruto stabbed the screaming man at the base of his neck, killing him instantly. The other man, still shocked by his comrade's demise, managed to roll out from underneath Naruto, and blindly lunged toward him in a futile effort to stab the shinobi. Naruto batted the blade away with his own and, with several ridiculously fast slashes, brought the man to his knees, covered in deep wounds.

Defeated, the rebel released his sword and sagged, knowing his end was near. Instead of executing him immediately, Naruto stared at him for the longest time with his slitted crimson eyes. He stared for several moments at this pathetic, bloodied excuse for a man, who merely sat in solemn silence, awaiting his judgement. With a loud sigh, Naruto stepped past the man, leaving him among the bodies of his companions.

At first, the rebel could not comprehend the sudden act of mercy. And yet, the blonde man from hell was just walking calmly towards Liore, bloodied cutlass still in hand. In a frenzied vigor, the lone survivor glanced around. Just in front of him, beneath the body of another rebel, was a rifle. He scrambled forward, ignoring his grievous wounds, and pulled the rifle from underneath the corpse. He racked the bolt, chambering a new round, and turning to shoot the blonde demon in the back. Just as he did, an odd twirling noise made itself known, until the two and a half foot blade Naruto had walked off with lodged itself in the man's forehead. His lifeless shell slumped to the ground, his rifle useless in his twitching fingers.

When Naruto arrived at the edge of Liore, he found a bloodbath similar to his own waiting for him. The MG crew – for it had been a machine gun – lay in several pieces, blood coating every surface within fifteen meters of the gun. Body parts were strewn everywhere, though it was easy to guess that they had once been clothed in threads identical to the hooded cloaks worn by his previous attackers. And in the corner of a destroyed house was Kyuubi, munching happily on a severed arm, its hand still clutching a broken knife. The blade of said knife was lodged in another man's skull, though how that happened Naruto couldn't deduce.

"Were you really hungry, or is this for intimidation's sake?" He asked the fox as it happily stripped the arm clean of flesh and meat. It ignored him, intent on finishing its meal. Naruto looked around at the bloodshed and tried to guess. Fifteen arms, roughly twenty two...and a half...legs, no heads, it looked like a morgue had decided to say 'fuck it' and throw every cadaver out into in a meat grinder.

The fox licked its chops as it finished its meal and looked from from a pure white ulna. **"There were about twenty five of them, but two got away to warn the main base. We may have a problem."** It followed this up with an involuntary belch, though Naruto could tell Kyuubi was pleased with himself.

"So now they know how many of us there are. I kinda wish I could've used Shadow Clones back there. It would have been good to fudge the numbers a bit." Naruto said as he crossed his arms. The jacket of his uniform was starting to get really hot and uncomfortable.

**"Nonsense. They knew they were under attack as soon as they heard gunfire. Those two that escaped are going to tell about how a boy and a fox tore apart thirty men. The effects should be...interesting." **Almost as soon as the fox said that, klaxons began blaring inside Liore, and they could see men moving about in the distance.

"Here they come. We should prepare." Naruto said, glancing around at the weapons littering the ground.

**"No. Now, we strike. Stay close. This may get a little disorientating."** The fox walked up next to Naruto, hackled up, and began murmuring that same phrase from before. And just like before, he and Naruto melted into the more rebels arrived to reinforce the men at the guard station, all they found were body parts littering the area. And a bit of blood, of course.

* * *

Greed stared down the barrels of seven rifles with a rather introspective state of mind. Except for these very special circumstance, Greed would have normally laughed at the use of such weaponry. But with his remains clutched in Kimbly's hand, it would be simple for them to kill him, then destroy his body before the red stones within him could regenerate his flesh. Kimbly had originally been a prospect for recruitment. But it seemed that fate was working against Greed, as the one man that had met his contacts appeared to have payed them off for Greed's one weakness: the skull.

He heard the actions click as rounds slid into chambers, and suddenly a hand grasped his shoulder. For some reason, the white-haired Omega decided to offer some consoling comfort at the last minute. While humans generally annoyed him, Greed couldn't help but give the guy points for trying to improve on a hopeless situation. And then, something strange happened.

A great wind rushed past Greed, as if he were moving at great speeds, and the area blurred and spun. A small amount of panic surged up into the Homunculus, and he glanced around frantically. But instead of finding the shack where all his friends had been gunned down, all he saw was forest. Greed felt Kakashi's hand leave his shoulder, and he whirled around on the government operative.

"Where the hell are we, Despair? What was that?" He demanded. Kakashi just shrugged and put his hands in his pockets.

"We're in the woods near the mansion of one Dante Korro, roughly a mile and a half away from our attempted firing squad. I used a low-level jutsu to transport us away from there." He said lazily. Greed's face oozed disbelief, but what else explained it? They were in the woods, probably near the old crone's place as well. The jutsu stuff must have been some crazy alchemy of some sort, but he didn't dwell on it. He conceded Kakashi's explanation, but he didn't accept it.

"So why did you bring me out here? I mean, the rescue was great and everything, but I don't see how you're going to bring me in." The diamond-like coating extended to his arms to reinforce the point. Kakashi didn't bat an eye.

"Wow, you really are an ungrateful bastard, aren't you?" He sighed heavily, then held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Look, since you're not in league with the other Homunculi, I've got no beef with you. I do, however, want information. More specifically, info about their leader."

Greed's eyebrows rose as a razor sharp grin spread across his face. "Oh, how'd ya know they have a leader? Enlighten me, before I spill the beans here."

Kakashi counted off one finger. "The most prominent clue was Envy's reference to a 'master'. For an arrogant bastard, Envy still entitled that term with proper respect, something that concerns me. Two," he lifted a second finger, "their methods and movements are too focused and coordinated for it to be group consensus. They don't fight or argue, and everything they do is linked together. And finally," A third finger went up. "I asked where you Homunculi come from. The Elric brothers gave me a good bit of information on the subject, which leads me to conclude that _someone _gathered or created all of them. The question is: who?"

Greed snickered at the shinobi's detective skills. He had come up with everything, and then dumped them right outside the crone's house? Classic irony in motion.

"Okay, I'll give ya credit: that was some pretty snazzy detective work there. You wanna know who the leader is?" He pointed behind Kakashi, where the mansion loomed in the distance. "She lives in that house. It's Dante herself. The old hag created me and Envy, and she got the other goons together. I split when her interests didn't coincide with mine."

Kakashi looked up at the mansion with trepidation. The old woman had been behind this? How had a frail old hermit been able to pull together six Homunculi, not to mention one as arrogant and rebellious as Envy? This whole situation smelled funny, but Kakashi let it be. He had to get to Liore and find Naruto, and hopefully Gaara and Itachi on the Sakura showed up, he'd fill her in on the info.

"Despair." Kakashi turned to Greed, who for once looked... uncertain? "Do you know a little pink haired girl? Crazy temper and strong as hell?" The Homunculus asked.

"Yeah, that's Sakura." Kakashi replied. "She's my student."

"Well, she pounded me into the dirt. She was so set on making me into gravel that she didn't notice a guy with a tranquilizer behind her. Your girl was captured." Greed said mellowly, not meeting Kakashi's eyes.

That rocked Kakashi's world. Sakura, taken prisoner? Surely not. But from the description Greed gave him, there was hardly any room for doubt. Ignoring the knot forming in his throat, Kakashi went into shinobi mode.

"Who took her? Where did he go?"

"A man named Forrest. He's a big wig in the Black Hand organization, one tasked with assassinations and high value targets." Greed explained quietly. "If he went after your girl, they've been watching you for a while. Forrest doesn't go after people on a whim."

Kakashi processed this rapidly. "Where did he take her? Where is the Black Hand based?" He demanded sternly.

"They have several secret enclaves and hideouts all around the country. But their biggest area and new headquarters is a town called Liore in the far East."

Time stopped for Kakashi. Sakura, who Naruto had fawned over and protected for years, had been kidnapped. Naruto was going through a very precarious phase, where losing his temper like he had against Deidara could have disastrous results. And the man responsible for Sakura's capture was taking her to the same town?

"Oh my God. This isn't good."

* * *

Gaara had been conned only twice. Once, when he was little, someone had stolen his teddy bear and replaced one infested with lice. He had used his meager control over the sand to encase said person in a cocoon of sand, accompanied by that same teddy bear. The second time had been in his early days as Kazekage. One of the elders had decided that he wasn't good enough to lead, and sent an assassin after Gaara. After interrogating and killing said assassin, Gaara had waited and killed the man in front of the entire council, cementing his place as Kazekage with the death of a traitor. The sounds made by a man little drowning in sand were...interesting. As he sat down to engage in an arm wrestling match with a man that had an automail arm, he couldn't help but get the feeling he was about to be swindled again.

"Ready...go!" The ratty referee called out, dropping his hand and stepping back from the table. The large man in front of Gaara wrapped his artificial clawed hand around Gaara's tiny fist, and began straining with all his might to slam it through the table. To his credit, Gaara actually put quite a bit of strength into staying where he was, but the machinery had no chance against shinobi strength. For all his muscled grunting and straining, the big man before him was quite weak. _He relies too heavily upon his automail._ Gaara thought impassively. To have postured for so long only to be this big of a disappointment, he had to be punished.

Gaara pushed harder, bending the man's automail arm backward slowly. The surrounding crowd gasped in surprise, while the big man began straining harder. With the emotionless look on his face, the Kazekage pushed so hard that the man's arm snapped off at the elbow, much to everyone's shock. The referee, the big man, and pretty much everyone in the crowd decided to dig for gold using their chins, their mouths were so wide. With a dismissive toss, Gaara threw the useless metal appendage behind him.

"If you want automail worth the bragging you were doing, I suggest heading the Risembool. At least there they have competent mechanics." Gaara said without remorse. After several complaints and a death threat, Gaara walked away from the exchange with four hundred and fifty thousand cins. The money went into his bag easily enough, safely wrapped up in his spare clothes. After he finished humiliating the cons, he looked around. Dublith had become quiet, and night was fast approaching. He decided to head back to the barbershop, where the Curtis' and Sakura were probably waiting.

The walk was supposed to be uneventful, but he knew that winning as much money as he had would have attracted the wrong kind of attention. As he neared a darkened street corner, four thugs materialized out of the darkness, all armed with knives. They wore black masks and sleeveless vests, allowing their muscled arms to stick out, pale in the gleaming moonlight. Their apparent leader stepped forward, brandishing a trench knife that suggested time in the military.

"That was a pretty slick win you pulled out back there. I'm sure you cheated back there, but no one's here to judge." He said haughtily, as if his hands were already running through Gaara's money. The former jinchuriki frowned, but said nothing.

"That was an awful lot of money you walked off with. For a guy as small as you, that must be a heavy load. We're just here to, ehehe, help you carry it." He grinned, showing a smile of yellow and missing teeth. Gaara blinked once, then his brow darkened.

"Your _generosity_ is flattering, but I assure you I can carry it well enough on my own." Gaara responded. He knew it would do no good, but he figured he offer a warning anyway. "Perhaps you should worry about whether or not you'll be carrying your compatriots from this place."

This brought about guffaws from all four of the thugs, the loudest coming from their leader. When he finally composed himself, his placating smile turned into a sinister sneer.

"We've wasted enough time here! Gut him, boys!"

The first man naturally attacked from behind like the coward he was. Gaara did not even turn, but merely sidestepped his poorly executed stab and kick him in the chin, sending him flying away. His knife stuck into the dirt, blade gleaming in the faint light. The other two lackeys attacked simultaneously from opposite directions, forcing Gaara to elbow one in the sternum, fracturing it, and punch the other in the throat. They both fell back coughing, though only the latter's wound would kill him. That done, Gaara turned to face the leader. Without his cronies to back him, the man did not seem as fearsome. He seemed to realize this, and charged at Gaara immediately.

"You little punk!"

Gaara dodged the slash of his trench knife, the emotionless look still on his face. The man growled, and began slashing at the red headed teenager with reckless abandon. The Kazekage ducked and leaned with expert speed and grace, infuriating the thug even further. The man finally swore and tried to slash Gaara diagonally. Instead of dodging this time, Gaara caught him by the wrist. The man's demeanor instantly went from one of rage to hesitation, and he tried to pull back from Gaara's iron grip. The red head did not relent, but rather pulled the man closer.

"You tried to murder and steal from an unarmed individual." Gaara stated monotonously. The man whimpered and pulled harder, but still Gaara held on. "You tried to cheat your way towards earning riches you have no business attaining. Your fate is clear."

The ground beneath the thug began to shift and slither, the hard dirt relenting to Gaara's will. The theif looked down to find himself slowly sinking into the ground. He looked up in horror at the boy holding him up from oblivion, his eyes pitiful and pleading.

"No, please! I beg of you! I won't do it again, I swear!" He cried, his panic now painfully obvious. By now, people had began to come out of their homes, some with toothbrushes and other utensils used in preparation for bed. They all saw the man sinking into the ground, the knife inches from Gaara's throat. The wiser ones went back inside to go to sleep, while several others looked on in wonder and fear, speaking to each other in hushed tones.

"You are condemned to live burial. May the earth be cleansed of your filth." With that, Gaara thrust his palm into the man's wrist, forcing him to cry out in pain and release his knife. Gaara let go of the man's now broken wrist and snatched the knife out of the air, watching the man sink into the dirt as if it were water. He screamed the whole way. When his grasping, maimed hand finally disappeared beneath the earth's surface, the ground stopped moving. Even though he was buried beneath them, some of the watchers could still hear the man's muffled screams underground.

Gaara looked at the knife curiously, then dropped it into his pack. It was always good to have a backup. Right when he was about to leave, movement in the alley the thugs had come from caught his eye. He tensed, ready to mete out whatever defense was required of him. It was not a thug that poked its head out, but rather a small little girl. Her freckled face was framed by long, messy brown hair, and she looked at him with a combination of hope and fear.

"Are the bad men gone?" She asked quietly. He looked down at the bodies of his assailants, then back to the little girl.

"Yes. They are gone." He said gently. The girl's face lit up, and she slowly walked out of the alley. She wore a dirty set of blue pajamas, ripped and torn as if she had fled through the woods. Gaara knew that she had done no such thing. She was half his height, presumably eight or nine. He knelt to look her in the eye as she approached him, still slightly uncertain.

"Do you know how to get home from here?" Gaara asked. The little girl nodded once, and Gaara actually grinned. He made a shooing motion towards the street.

"Well, you'd better hurry up. It's almost bed time, and your parents will be worried." Gaara turned to continue to the butcher shop, but a warm feeling wrapped around his side. He looked down in his surprise to see the little girl _hugging_ him. Now, Gaara had become accustomed to the touch of other people over time, but the hug still caught him by surprise. Nonplussed, the little girl looked up at him with a big grin, one of her front teeth missing.

"Thanks, mister!" With that, she took off down the road, her bare feet padding softly on the packed dirt. Gaara just stood there for a moment, still unsettled by the familiar contact. Everyone else had already gone back inside, though he knew that no one would be getting sleep after the fight. Slowly, he returned to the butcher shop.

When he arrived, he found only the Elrics and the Curtis' awaiting him. Izumi sat on the couch, a somber expression on her face. Sig just stood next to her, his bearded face set in its usual scowl. Ed and Al sat at the dinner table, silent and looking depressed. What Gaara did not detect, however, was Sakura and Naruto. There was no sign of them, no medical pack or kunai holster around.

Before Gaara could ask, Kakashi walked into the room. Gaara had not expected to see him as well. If he was here, surely the mission had been successful? Kakashi cleared his throat, gaining Gaara's complete attention.

"Well?" Gaara said expectantly. Kakashi leaned up against the wall, looking like the bearer of bad news. Which, considering the general mood of the room, he probably was.

"I'm not one to mince words in dire times, so I'll just come out and say it." Kakashi said, downcast. Gaara stiffened, not sure what to expect. Surely they hadn't been killed...

"Sakura has been taken prisoner by the Black Hand."

Gaara blinked once, twice, three times. She had been taken prisoner? Sakura was a competent kunoichi; getting the drop on her must have been extremely hard to do. He shook his head, then looked up at Kakashi again.

"How did Naruto take it?" Gaara asked. If anything, the boy was probably out there on a rampage already. The blonde boy had always been a whirlwind of emotion.

"Well, that's the thing. Naruto had to leave with the fox to a supposedly remote location to get his new chakra system in check." Kakashi said. Gaara waited silently for him to continue.

"Problem is, Naruto's destination and the Black Hand's base are the same: a little town called Liore." Another shock to Gaara's system. Surely it wasn't _that_ Liore?

"That's where I first got here. Last I saw, it was nothing but sand, rubble, and deserted buildings." Gaara said with a frown. Kakashi shrugged.

"Either way, they moved in relatively quickly. Their leader is sure to be there, as well as the man who captured Sakura. His name is Dakota Forrest, and it's our best guess that he has Sakura with him."

"I see." Gaara said slowly. "When did Naruto leave?"

"Roughly eighteen hours ago. I can only guess that Forrest had a car, so he'll beat them there. Either that, or the fox pulled some stunt that got them there quickly." Kakashi rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion.

"The issue remains the same: if Naruto finds out Sakura is their prisoner, he'll do one of two things: surrender, and give them one hell of a trump card against us, or paint whole town red with their blood. The fox wasn't very specific about that." He slumped against his support, and watched the resolve in Gaara crumble as he processed the situation.

"So there's nothing we can do?" Edward piped up from the table. Kakashi just shook his head.

"No. All we can do is hope Naruto doesn't go ballistic. I wouldn't bet a single cin against that right now, though. As far as the we know, Liore is going to be wiped off the map in about twelve to twenty four hours, depending on when Naruto loses control."

* * *

Mustang picked up the phone on the third ring, and brought it his ear with an exasperated sigh.

"What is it now, Hughes? Did your daughter lose a tooth or something?" He asked in a bored tone. Imagine his surprise when it was not Maes Hughes on the line, but Kakashi.

"I did hear of a little girl, but I'm not sure it was deer little Eleisa. Mustang, there's no time for code; we have a problem."

The colonel's eyes hardened, and he snapped his fingers at Hawkeye and Fury. The two nodded, and began hooking up surveillance equipment. Mustang and Kakashi silently waited as they prepared. Fury put on a set of headphones, then nodded to the colonel.

"Alright, Despair, we have a clear line. Go ahead." Whatever Kakashi had to say would have to be important, Mustang reasoned.

"We've found the dwelling of the Homunculi's leader. A woman named Dante." Mustang gasped in surprise, earning a worried look from his girlfrien- err, lieutenant.

"Are you sure? How did you find this out?" Mustang demanded hurriedly. Kakashi sighed on the other end.

"The Homunculus named Greed is a defector of sorts; they tried to kill him right in front of my eyes. The Crimson Alchemist is in on this now. Greed pointed out the residence, and I did some scouting. We've got two occupants; an elderly woman who is presumably Dante, and an unknown understudy. Their library is full of books concerning the Philosopher's Stone and Homunculi. Something about the old lady's off, though. I can't put my finger on it." Kakashi finished. As he spoke, Mustang began jotting down key information.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do. If our suspicions are correct, we'll have to be very sneaky here. I'll contact Hughes and get his men on it. We need trustworthy people right now." Mustang said. He was about to congratulate Kakashi when Fury perked up at the listening station, then gave Mustang the throat cutting gesture.

"Well Kakashi, I must say that's very interesting. You don't find many Ishbalans in Central nowadays. We'll look into it." Mustang said, giving Kakashi enough room to maneuver. The copy nin did so flawlessly.

"I just thought I'd report it. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen in the capital, after all. Goodbye, sir." Kakashi hung up without a return, and Mustang set the receiver on its cradle. Fury and Hawkeye looked at him, and he steepled his fingers in deep thought.

"We're going to be moving ahead of schedule. Get Falman in here; I'm going to need him to deliver a message." Mustang said decisively. The two underlings nodded, then rushed to carry out the orders of their commander.

* * *

Throughout his life, Naruto had rarely taken things for granted. Or at least, that's what he had thought. However, walking stealthily while not being able to see your legs was challenging, to say the least. When Kyuubi finally dropped the invisibility technique, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He looked around Liore, and was kind of depressing. Not a single intact building stood. Every window was broken, no doorframe had a door. However, the Black Hand clearly knew something he didn't, since they were walking around hydrated, fed, and refreshed; characteristics not found in men holing up in an empty desert town. There was something he was missing. As he sat on the second floor of a collapsed hotel, he couldn't help but feel like he was missing something.

"There's something else here." He said, hoping to get advice from his vulpine friend. Kyuubi remained silent, watching a patrol go by before answering.

**"They all carry a faint scent of concrete and flourine. I've got a bet on bunkers or an underground setup. We should be cautious."** The fox turned away from the gaping hole in the slanted floor. Naruto nodded in agreement, until a flurry of movement caught his attention. Intrigued, he saw a car pull up just past the gate and stop. Two token guards marched out to help, and the driver stepped out. He was a blonde man in a leather jacket, smoking a cigarette and looking like he owned the world. He motioned to the back, and one of the guards opened the back door. His frame blocked Naruto's view from his vantage point. A little impatient, Naruto grudgingly waited until the other guard went over with him to help move a wrapped, person shaped package. At first, he figured it was a corpse or something, bringing a warrior back, etc. etc. However, Kyuubi's sharp intake of breath made Naruto focus harder. A familiar scent wafted up into Naruto's nose. At first, he couldn't place it; he had smelled it countless times for several years. He was about to ask Kyuubi about it when the sheet slid off slightly, showing pink hair. When he caught sight of the hair and thought about the scent, the conclusion made Naruto's vision bleed red.

**"Listen to me boy; you have to control yourself. If you go berserk now, she will die too.**_**"**_ Kyuubi advised. But Naruto wasn't listening. Rage was tearing through him, and soon, chakra followed. And then, something broke inside him. Liquid fire flooded his veins, and he began to howl in both pain and rage. Kyuubi backed away quickly, the heat coming off the boy forcing him back. Above him, the building began to disintegrate as red chakra began shooting upwards from the enraged teenager. In a huge explosion of sound, rock, fire, and brimstone, everything above the second floor exploded in a huge flash of red light. Every soldier in the town turned to face Naruto, whose eyes had lost every identifying feature except for a blood red tinge. And then, he held up his hand. As Dakota Forrest transported his precious cargo into the secret underground base, everything outside began to die.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the quick thaw, Master Chief, but things are a little hectic right now. I introduced a damsel in distress issue last chapter, and now there will be a long, gory series of consequences following the kidnapping of said damsel. **Fire It Up** by _Thousand Foot Krutch._

* * *

His veins burned, with gouts of fire burning through every blood vessel and artery. His insides were a molten inferno, the unbearable heat building up from within him. He could not douse it, nor did he want to. The fire of the demonic chakra was painful, yes, but the rage was greater. His fury was unmatched, and it unleashed his full power. The pain was great. But the power! A sun burned in his belly, and he could feel the very world tremble in his presence.

Naruto reared up and unleashed a mighty, carnal roar into the desert sky, the power of his voice alone kicking up dust and sand. The soldiers on the ground shielded their faces as a great dust cloud swept through Liore. Beside him, Kyuubi braced up against a piece of wall, amazed at the power Naruto was projecting.

_**I'm going to guess he had about six tails worth of power stored up. And since he saw Sakura, he's probably gonna let ALL of it out.**_ The ancient demon thought worriedly. That meant that Naruto would be unreasonable, bloodthirsty, and above all: unstoppable. The fox just hoped that the boy wouldn't target him.

Naruto looked down upon the clearing dust cloud, and Kyuubi caught sight of his eyes. The pupils and irises had disappeared completely, leaving only bloody, solid crimson eyes in the boy's sockets. He sniffed the air, looking for something. Anything. Aside from Kyuubi and that familiar smell, he wanted to slaughter everything. He could feel it; his instincts driving him to punch, kick, beat, crush, claw, slash,** butcher, bite, maim, DEVOUR, KILL!** He was a tool of destruction, and there was a whole group of victims just waiting for his judgment below.

The rebels stared at the massive column of crimson energy, awed and fearful of its power. It radiated malice, a sickening feeling that made their stomachs curl and cold sweat break out on their brows. A tank commander, one of the few within the Black Hand, decided to use Naruto's pause to his advantage.

The loud clanking sound of a tank's turret rotating shattered the silence brought on by Naruto's eruption. His hate-filled eyes locked on to the metal behemoth, and he barely flinched when its large 55mm gun barked its defiance at him. The projectile missed him by several feet, something the gunner no doubt corrected immediately. The turret turned a few degrees, and a loud clank signalled another shell being loaded. Naruto allowed a snarl to cross his lips, ended the huge flow of energy, and he hunched forward like a predator about to pounce. The men finally snapped into action, and the leaders began shouting orders.

Just when the tank fired again, Naruto lept forward. Out of danger, his medium-sized form slammed into the top of the tank, denting the armor with a loud clang. The men around the tank scrambled away to avoid being hit by him. He grasped the cover of the tank and lifted, tearing off the only thing that separated the crew from him. He dropped inside with a growl, and screams could be heard from the inside. The crew continued to scream, trapped within their tank with a monster. The rebels outside backed away slowly, until the screams finally died off. All was quiet, though everyone could see the slow trickle of blood from the viewport of the tank.

"Get some grenades in there! We can't let him escape!" A sergeant shouted. Several of the men balked at the idea of dropping explosives into a friendly tank, but it was obvious that their comrades within the vehicle had died...most likely in a gruesome fashion. Before anyone could act on the sergeant's orders, the opening in the top of the tank blurred with movement. To their horror, Naruto sat hunched over the tank's cannon, blood streaming down his face and neck from the severed hand clutched in his teeth, a pistol still in its grip. The veteran sergeants resumed barking orders, however, and once again Naruto's form was hidden by the cloud of dust and bullets thrown up by the dozens of men firing on him at one time.

For a few loud, ear-splitting seconds of sustained automatic and rifle fire, it appeared that Naruto had fallen to their hailstorm of bullets. However, foxes have always been known to be tricky, and Naruto had a reputation all his own as well...

A lieutenant, one of the few men that reported directly to Krauser, was surprised when a column of sand burst from the ground five feet away from him. He gave alarm and pointed his pistol toward the figure that had risen from the flowing grains, but the unexpected arrival caught him off guard. With speed unnatural to humans, Naruto diverted the gun's barrel past the side of his head with one clawed hand, while the other hand tore into the lieutenant's throat. The man gurgled as Naruto's claws pierced his neck, sending a spray of blood onto and behind the rabid blonde. The other rebels were too shocked to react, and Naruto took advantage of the lull by throwing the doomed lieutenant toward them, keeping the pistol.

While their dying commander drowning in his own lifeblood, the rebels broke and ran as Naruto opened fire rapidly, cutting down several as the rest fled deeper into the underground complex that was the Liore base. When the slide locked on his captured pistol, Naruto dropped it and stared into the darkness of the previously hidden entrance. His rage had subsided to a more manageable, coherent state. Even so, his chakra writhed and roiled within him, almost seething with a mind of its own. Somewhere, in the belly of the beast, Sakura was still captive. He growled at the thought.

With his shoulders hunched forward like a stalking predator, Naruto strode into the depths of Liore's dirty little secret, Kyuubi following behind.

* * *

The antechamber for the Fuhrer's mansion was ornate, yet simple. The roaring lion that represented Amestris was inlaid into the floor in gold, with a rich red outline. Aside from that and a gold chandelier, the rest of the chamber was barren. In a way, Gaara admired it. It was the entrance to the most respected building in the country, but it wasn't like they were trying too hard.

As he slunk into the room, the Kazekage was careful to channel chakra to his feet, erasing all sound and evidence that he'd ever been there. It also made it easier when he jumped onto the ceiling when a group of guards made their way in. Since the antechamber was so large, they passed right under him and out the door without even noticing him. One of the greatest traits of humanity once again helped Gaara: people never look up. When they had gone, he jumped back down to the ground, and looked around the main hall. Two sloping staircases led to the upper level, curving around another lion emblem, this one a flag hung from just below the center banister. Expensive wood and metals were everywhere, acting as trim for the white marble that covered the floor and stairs. Dark granite lined the edges and corners, giving the room a nice contrast. It was a fitting home for the leader of a country as large as Amestris.

Gaara cleared the stairs in a single leap, entering the long, well-lit hallway at the top at a quiet jog. With his gourd back at the Curtis' shop, along with an explanatory note, all the sand Gaara had was covering him. That did not mean he was helpless, but simply more covert. Now he wasn't carrying half a desert on his back, but he was still perfectly capable of defending himself.

And so, when the butler/housekeeper/who really cares came out of a door to Gaara's left, the man was knocked unconscious and thrown into a supply closet before he could scream. Gaara did decide, however, that it was probably prudent to slow down. Not to mention he was looking for the Fuhrer's office as well. Gaara soon came to a fork in the hallway, and followed his gut feeling left. The lights got dimmer the further he progressed, forcing the Wind Shadow to go even more slowly. He remained silent the whole way, but for some reason he felt as if he'd already been detected. It was a gut feeling that persisted even after he had lost Shukaku; a survival instinct imprinted onto him from the sand demon.

After walking for some time, Gaara came across a pair of large, elaborately carved wooden doors. The twin lions were facing each other, both of them incredibly detailed. This just had to be Bradley's office, Gaara was sure of it. He opened the door slowly, noting with some admiration how smoothly the door opened, and without a squeak. Whether the Fuhrer himself maintained it or what, Gaara wasn't sure. He quickly entered and shut the door, then turned around to scan the room – only to find Itachi Uchiha and his mysterious partner lounging on the Fuhrer's large desk, each with a document in hand. Had he been anyone other than the unshakable Gaara of the Desert, the young Kazekage would have facefaulted.

"What are you two doing here?" He asked quietly, though the thick door probably blocked a lot of noise. The two Uchiha – and Gaara could clearly see that the other man was an Uchiha, though he was also older - waved at him lazily, and Gaara walked up to the desk. Itachi tossed a file Gaara's way, and the former jinchuriki caught it deftly. When he looked down, he found that he was looking at Naruto's file. However, it bore the mark of the Fuhrer, not Col. Mustang. It listed possible weaknesses, frequent hangouts – very few in that category – and his accomplices. If Gaara didn't know any better, he'd say it was a _criminal_ record, not a service record. In the mystery Uchiha's hands was the report on Kakashi, and Gaara began to piece things together.

"We are looking into the Fuhrer and his shady dealings with the Homunculi." Itachi said in his normal calm tone. Somehow, Gaara saw that one coming. He had seen the actions of the common rabble, and he had also met quite a few of the officers. If he were to judge from his experience among the shinobi ranks, the actions of the cannon fodder should reflect the ideals and strategies of the officers. However, there were several discrepancies in this country. Despite Mustang and Hughes' caution and subterfuge, their footsoldiers were quite the opposite, behaving in a reckless and often dangerous fashion that put the lives of Amestrian citizens at risk. It was almost as if there was another level of command, or that the officers were being bypassed completely...

"It seems that the leadership of this country is divided, wouldn't you agree?" Itachi said, his eyes running over an unsigned letter to Fuhrer Bradley himself. It was an undisguised missive, a blatant order from someone who clearly thought themselves superior to Bradley.

And if what the paper said wasn't coded, then Bradley had done exactly as he had been told.

"You do know what this implies?" Gaara said quietly. Itachi nodded, and his mystery relative stepped forward with a well-drawn diagram and a map of the country.

"What's this?" Gaara asked as the to-date unintroduced man handed him the two sheets of paper.

"The drawing is actually a blueprint for what is known as a Transmutation Circle; these circles are the crucial part to their Alchemy." The Uchiha explained. He grabbed the papers from Gaara and set them onto the table, side by side. As he did so, Gaara notcied that several large circles on the diagram were in the exact same places as several large cities on the map.

"There is a very certain, complex Transmutation Circle that can create what they call a Philosopher's Stone. It's a legendary stone that allows them to perform Alchemy without consequence or toll." The Uchiha looked down, his orange goggles not hiding his grim face. "The problem is, a Philosopher's Stone is created using large numbers of living, breathing humans. It literally turns a huge crowd of people into a rock for magic tricks."

Gaara blinked at this information. To most, that would seem rather unthoughtful, but for those that knew Gaara, it was the closest thing to a gasp of surprise to ever come out of the boy. He examined the map and diagram much more closely,and a cold feeling began welling up within his gut. If the Transmutation Circle that created a Philosopher's Stone looked like this, then that meant...

"The entire interior of this country is nothing but one big Transmutation Circle." Gaara said in wonder and dread. Considering that thw Philosopher's Stone was the big momma of all Alchemic reactions, it was probably best to assume that this was for the Stone. That meant that everyone in the country was going to be converted into energy, should someone decide to use this Circle...

A series of slow claps caught the attention of the shinobi in the room, and all three turned to the door. From the muted shadows of the open door, a man stepped forward. He wore a white long sleeved and collared shirt and the dark blue slacks worn by most of the military of Amestris. His shoes were a hybrid of dress shoe and working boot, and they were shined to perfection. An ornate, empty scabbard hung from his left hip, its guarded sword in his right hand. A handsomely aged face and eyepatch completed the picture: Fuhrer King Bradley, at his finest.

"An astute conclusion, my boy." Bradley said in that middle-aged, patronizing voice. "For people so unfamiliar with Alchemy, strange though that may be, you certainly recognize one of its darkest secrets."

Gaara grimaced as Bradley said this; it was confirmation that the entire country was set to be turned into a Philosopher's Stone. Moving slowly so as to escape Bradley's notice, Gaara carefully stowed the documents in a compartment in his belt behind him. Unfortunately, not one of the shinobi in that room knew of Bradley's eye for detail. Moving almost too quickly for even the two Uchiha to see, Bradley lunged toward Gaara with his sword ready for a devastating diagonal cut. As he did so, however, Itachi and Obito managed to get in between the two; Itachi crossing his tanto with Bradley's sword, and Obito tackling Gaara out the window. The loud crash and resulting sounds of metal on metal from a sword fight provided stark contrast to the stuffy silence that had permeated the Fuhrer's Mansion just moments prior.

Obito and Gaara landed simultaneously, and Gaara instinctively reached for his sand. Before it could fully form outside of his gourd, however, Obito grasped his arm firmly. Gaara flinched at this, not only out of surprise but also out of his lingering discomfort of being touched, Shukaku gone or not.

"Leave him." The normally peppy Uchiha (never thought I'd write that...) hissed. Gaara hesitated, considering telling this mysterious stranger were to go and how to get there, but another furious clash of blades changed his mind. _I still have to get these papers to Kakashi and Naruto._ Gaara attempted to rationalize to himself. With a short nod, Gaara bounded off toward the woods, Obito close behind.

In the Fuhrer's office, the two combatants were exchanging blows at lightning speed, their blades little more than silver blurs through the air. At the speed those swords were moving, one of them could easily hack through muscle, organ and bone. Seeing that he was evenly matched in this regard, Itachi opted for a different strategy. Driving Bradley back with a particularly viscious swipe, Itachi discreetly created two clones above them, then waited in a defensive stance for the Fuhrer to strike. Bradley did not disappoint, and came in with a hard jab toward Itachi's strong arm. Just as the blades clashed again, Itachi's clones dropped from the ceiling.

Bradley grunted in surprise, but adapted quickly. As Itachi used the distraction to put some distance between himself and Bradley, the Uchiha barely ducked in time to avoid one of his dopplegangers being flung at him. Startled, he managed to sidestep the other as well, but not before a flash of steel opened up a small cut across the bridge of his nose.

Mentally berating himself for such a clumsy and foolish error, Itachi used the Replacement Jutsu with Bradley's desk just as the Fuhrer was following up his distraction with a decapitating blow. The faux Itachi disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing his mahogany desk cut cleanly in half. The resulting crash sent papers flying everywhere. Bradley whirled on Itachi with two quick kicks, but both were blocked by the ex-ANBU captain with ease. Itachi locked eyes with Bradley, and all of a sudden the Fuhrer's world became black and white.

Itachi faded from view like a ghost, and Bradley frowned. He had no idea how the boy had created the illusion, but he also knew it was just that: an illusion. With a small sigh at revealing his ace in the hole so early in a fight, Bradley tore off his eyepatch. Outside the genjutsu, Itachi cocked a brow at the display, only to choke in surprise as Bradley dashed from his stupified stance in the middle of the room straight to Itachi's hiding spot, stabbing the Uchiha right through the lung.

Itachi's Sharingan activated in an effort to understand what happened as blood began to stream down from his mouth. Bradley locked eyes with the Uchiha prodigy, and Itachi got a good look at the Fuhrer's Ultimate Eye. A red tattoo of the Uroboros, a snake consuming its own tail, sat where Bradley's left pupil should have been. Itachi filed that information away, and Bradley began to speak.

"Your movements are quick and strong, and that illusion would have tricked me, were it not for my Ultimate Eye. Well played, boy." He said with just a glimmer of respect in his prideful, patronizing voice, twisting his blade ever so slightly and bringing on another bought of pained grunts and bloodloss from his captured victim. "Had I been any of the other Homunculi, you could have beaten me with ease. Pity you chose to face Pride the Arrogant, however."

Just as Pride prepared to end his gloating with a final slice, the man's strange red eyes disappeared, and a smirk etched into his bloodied face. Though he spoke barely above a whisper, Bradley heard every word one second too late.

**"Ninja Art: Exploding Clone Jutsu."**

The resulting explosion tore the entire room apart from the rest of the mansion. Itachi emerged from the woods where he had been hiding, examining the memories his shadow clone had given him. Pride had lived up to his name and arrogantly released information freely to a dying opponent, a mistake no true ninja would ever make. As the fires in the Fuhrer's office raged, Itachi caught a flicker of motion.

There, in the ruins of his own office, stood Fuhrer King Bradley. His shirt had been torn, leaving his chiseled abdomen and chest open to the night air. A gaping hole in his chest slowly filled and faded away just as the estate guards kicked in the door. Bradley quickly but calmly replaced his eyepatch, then looked to where he had last seen Itachi. The only thing to meet his hawk-like gaze was swaying grass and a quiet forest.

"Fuhrer Bradley, sir! Are you alright? What happened here?" A worried guard asked hurriedly. Pride momentarily considered killing the men and blaming it on the intruders, but his hyper-political mind was already forming a plan, one that would solve several problems at once.

"I'm fine, son. And I'm glad to see those assassins didn't get any of you." He said with a warm smile. The guards relaxed a picometer, but still scanned the area vigilantly for further hostiles.

"I want an official order drawn up immediately. Omega captains Death and Despair are to be arrested for treason and military espionage, along with any persons found with them, and executed immediately. I also want Colonel Roy Mustang in my office first thing tomorrow morning in chains." He glanced at the men who had just received his orders. "After you relay that to Headquarters, all of you go home. My personal staff with see to the security and repair of the mansion."

* * *

Naruto didn't even touch the first two guards he blew past. A pair of kunai thrown under his arm dealt with them before they even realized that the gust of wind that nearly knocked them over had been a person. Kyuubi was a split second behind him, and they entered the first large antechamber together.

For an organization of cut-throats and sneaks, the amount of boxes and stored gear in the area was impressive. Rows and stacks of wooden crates and boxes shielded the majority of the room from view. Naruto took several experimental sniffs, and confirmed that Sakura's scent went straight ahead. It also revealed, however, the presence of a large group of men cleverly hidden among the cover of the crates. He looked down at Kyuubi.

"You go low, I go high." He said lowly. He received a growl of affirmation, and then the trap was sprung. With almost military timing and synchronization, fifteen gunmen stood up from their positions and opened fire on the demonic pair. Kyuubi moved first, and red streak zipping in and out of the crates, using his speed and small size to his advantage. Naruto chose to run the walls, using a combination of speed and an unorthodox target to protect him from enemy fire. As he ran, a clone appeared and quickly formed a Rasengan before a lucky round dispeled it. Naruto finally touched the ground and found his first victim crouched behind an opened crate of rations.

Just as he raised his swirling vortex of chakra to end the man's life, a strange thing happened within a nanosecond. Just as Naruto pointed the Rasengan at the unlucky gunman, a bullet struck the swirling ball of energy head on. The kinetic energy of the round weakened the chakra at that point of the sphere as the projectile evaporated within the pure energy. However, with his technique weakened for an instant, all that energy chose one place to go: out. In a blinding beam of red light, all of the chakra within Naruto's Rasengan pushed out of that single tiny hole in his barrier, which remained as small because of his effort to close it. The result: a point laser that burned through Naruto's target, the crate behind it, the wall behind that crate, and several other barriers. As his victim fell to the ground, Naruto took his cover as he examined his hand in wonder. When such a thing had happened in training, his barrier had been weak enough for the chakra to explode from his hand, unfocused and an irritating sign of failure. He had never thought to refine it into a ranged attack once he had completed the technique. _Heh, Pervy Sage would be drooling if he had seen that_.

His show of force attracted the attention of the other gunmen, and Naruto's wooden crate of rations was whittled down to a shoebox full of crackers within seconds under sustained automatic fire, forcing the former jinchuriki to move. Just as he found more solid cover behind a box full of rifles, he watched a gunman be jerked downward with a cry of pain, only to be silenced to a strangled gurgle. A second later, Kyuubi dashed from behind the man's cover to attack his teammates, sowing chaos and discord into the already demoralized rebels. As the dog-sized fox (big dog, ladies and gents) took a screaming man to the ground and began to enjoy tearing his throat out, Naruto managed to grab his laser victim's submachine gun.

An average human can fire a submachine gun with a full-auto trigger mechanism at a semi-automatic rate twenty three times in fifteen seconds. These shots will generally be within the area of what they are shooting at, as the recoil would throw off their aim. A shinobi, particularly Naruto with his heightened senses and pumping adrenaline, could do the same twice as fast with two in the head and three in the chest every time.

As it stood, when the gun clicked dry, he had lifted himself out of cover by ten inches, and had ended the lives of eight rebels within a thirteen second time frame. The final gunman decided to cut bait and turned to run, only to be nearly impaled by a hard-thrown submachine gun. Naruto landed on the man's back before the gun hit the ground, forcing the retreating rebel to eat dirt from the unexpected weight. When they slid to a stop, the man felt two vice-like hands grasp his arm and a boot plant on his shoulder blade, and then he began to scream.

Shortly after beating a man to death with his own arm, the two hunters had passed through several empty corridors and rooms, following the scent of Sakura and her soon-to-be-dead captor.

As they sprinted through the oddly deserted base, Naruto began to get the sinking feeling he'd kicked a hornets' nest, or something of the like. The rooms were empty of people and equipment, save the stored weapons and crates that had probably been to heavy or troublesome to move.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were packing to leave when we got here." He said to Kyuubi as they ran.

**"Yeah. But I'd bet Shukaku's ego that they were packing long before we got here. They're probably just scrambling now that there are intruders."** The demon fox replied. Naruto couldn't dispute that, but the explanation nagged at him. He was missing something.

As they rounded the next corner, they caught a group of rebels putting the finishing touches on that 'something'. Three men with rifles guarded two engineers that were pulling hidden panels from the walls and activating timed demolition charges. Naruto and Kyuubi had been running past nearly five hundred meters of explosives and hadn't been the wiser. Judging by the expressions on the men's faces when the two came around the corner, Naruto and Kyuubi were a little ahead of schedule. The engineers showed that they were single purpose men and disappeared in a flurry of curses and stumbles, leaving behind their guards and unfinished work. The riflemen, as riflemen are wont to do, opened fire immediately. For once since the beginning of his extermination, Naruto took a bullet. Three of them, actually. All three shots hit the blonde, sending burning agony through his right shoulder and left knee. His kneecap shattered, and his arm went dead from too many cut nerves. He cried out In pain and dove back around the corner, though with his weakened knee all that amounted to was a controlled fall. Another lance of pain tore up his arm as he landed on it, rolling further to stay out of the line of fire.

What the rebel gunmen should have kept in mind was the number of their opponents. As Naruto retreated behind the wall, the fox leapt into action, tackling the closest rifleman to the ground before he could work the bolt. He grabbed the man by the jugular, squeezing his windpipe tight, but leaving enough pressure off to allow the man to scream. And scream he did. Kyuubi dragged the struggling man backwards, keeping his captive between himself and the now shaken riflemen. Torn between saving their dying comrade and ripping through him to kill the fanged monster that had him, the remaining two riflemen hesitated. Their pause gave Kyuubi enough time to turn the corner as well. When he had finally dragged his gargling hostage behind cover, he silenced the man with a vicious shake of his head, tearing the poor rebel's throat out and ending his misery.

That done, he rushed to Naruto's side, while the boy groaned and growled as pain coursed through his affected limbs.

**"Listen to me, Naruto."** The fox said urgently, keeping his gaze on the corner should the remaining rebels decide to man up and try and finish Naruto off. **"I know it is hard, but you've got to concentrate your chakra one the wounds. Your body will push the bullets out on its own; you just have to accelerate the process."**

Naruto could barely understand his companion through the haze of agony that had fallen over his mind, but he still tried. Sure enough, the pain lessened to a dull throb as he new and potent chakra began to knit his shoulder and knee back together. The process was slow, but the more it progressed, the easier it was for him to concentrate. Seconds ticked by as the riflemen around the corner pissed themselves stupid trying to decide whether or not to press the attack or run like little bunnies. As the pain ebbed away completely, a wet squishing sound signaled the end of Naruto's torment as all three bullets were pushed out of him, and the wound were closed. He sat up and experimented with his arm, but found it was still a little stiff. He assumed his knee would be weak as well, and confirmed that when he stood up. The former jinchuriki hobbled to the corner, but not before drawing the dead man's sidearm.

With his lightning fast reflexes in play, Naruto peeked around the corner and shot both rebels square in the chest before they could bring their rifles to bear on him. The both hit the ground with two identical thuds, and Naruto shambled out from cover.

**"Don't stop focusing your chakra just because you can move again. If you don't heal very quickly, you'll have a severe handicap in the next fight." **Kyuubi said cautiously, skulking behind Naruto and into the corridor.

"Yeah yeah." Naruto said dismissively as he continued to focus on healing his injuries. "If those engineers reach the detonator, a shoulder and a knee aren't going to be the only things handicapped."

As if to underline Naruto's point, a light lit up among the disassembled pieces of the bomb on the floor. Sure enough, a transmitter signal glowed bright green among the metal pieces of the bomb. And if this one was responding...

"Crap. Let's go, Kyuubi! Shift in in gear!" Even as he said that, his knee protested angrily. Gritting his teeth, Naruto began to limp down the corridor quickly, flooding his knee with chakra in an attempt to heal it. Kyuubi kept his pace, but urged him on a quickly as the injury allowed. The bone was still knitting together, and the stress Naruto was putting on it wasn't helping much. As the tunnel took a slight rise to it, the blonde shinobi actually hopped up the incline to let his leg heal. In any other circumstance, it would have been funny.

His knee was just starting to feel normal when a dry gust of hot air slapped Naruto right in the face, welcoming him once again to the hot, dry air of the desert. They were on the other side of Liore, it seemed. As Naruto raised his hand to stop the burning wind and irritating sand from getting in his eyes, he caught notice of two people. Well, one standing while carrying a limp body over his shoulder.

The man before him had an aura about him, not so much carelessness as it was apathy. He didn't care that Naruto had nearly slaughtered his entire garrison. He didn't care that Krauser had ordered him to stay, a death sentence by all rights. And as he held up the detonator, Naruto also realized that Dakota Forrest didn't even care that there were still Black Hand members in the base.

_CLICK!_

* * *

Kakashi had let Greed go his own way once he had found Dante's house. As he leafed through another book of some abstract theory about the behavior of Red Stones, he couldn't help but be skeptical that an old lady like Dante had been even a material witness to all this, let alone the actual perpetrator. He'd been observing her for several hours, and the most malicious thing she'd done was cut her finger while helping her assistant dice tomatoes for a meal.

Kakashi's shinobi instincts were screaming at him that he was missing something. He'd seen several glimpses of a rough patch of skin on the old woman whenever she turned a certain way, just below the back of her neck. Old people had skin problems all the time. The Sandaime had been an unfortunate victim of liver spots for years. But it had a certain quality to it, like it was burned or something.

_No, not burned; dead. It's dead flesh. I haven't seen that much decay since..._ Kakashi realization was tempered by his memory of the Third Shinobi War. They'd had to wait weeks to give their comrades proper burials. Leave them be long enough in the conditions of a ninja war, and their skin just started to fall off. Not before turning all black and cracked, though. But why did this old woman have the skin condition of a lifetime, as if her body was already dead?

Kakashi put the book down and took up his usual spot on the ceiling of her main foyer, high above the second floor. Beneath him, an interesting scene was taking place. The assistant, who he had found out was named Lyra, was carving and drawing two separate Transmutation circles into the floor. With his butt firmly planted to the ceiling and a genjutsu hiding him from view, Kakashi just watched curiously as the circles became more and more complex. He considered looking at them with the Sharingan to memorize them for later, but decided against it. The Sharingan took a lot out of him, and memorizing a circle that Dante was training her protege to do probably wasn't that important anyway. Even so, he still strained to memorize at least the basic things about it: how many corners it had, how many circles were within the whole thing, etc. From what he had read, the structure of the circle determined its true meaning, like the handsigns of a jutsu. He was just too green with Alchemy to guess what this one was about.

Just as she was finishing, Dante herself entered the room. Judging by how Lyra always stood up a little straighter whenever Dante entered the room, especially if it was to inspect her work. It bespoke of the magnitude of her respect for the old woman. If Ed's teacher Izumi was anything to go by, Dante was quite the teacher. Dante slowly ambled over toward the two circles, her old eyes examining them with expert criticism. Whenever she found a mistake, she spoke in a quiet, gentle tone about how to fix it. Since Lyra jumped at the task, he had to respect the teacher-student dynamic that was present...

...at least until Dante shoved Lyra into the center of the more complex circle. Before the young girl even knew what was happening, the circle activated in a blinding burst of light, and the room was flooded with the familiar blue electricity that usually accompanies a large transmutation. Shielding his eyes from the bright light, Kakashi could barely see Dante dive into the circle as well.

_Can't say I saw that one coming. I guess I should have trusted Greed on this one._ Kakashi thought to himself. The energy field grew larger, and it even began to disrupt his chakra, dispelling the illusion and almost pushing him into the ceiling. Kakashi had to get out of there. Using his speed alone, the cyclopean jounin made it from the ceiling to the banister of the second floor just as all the action faded.

Moving silently in hopes that whatever was happening had prevented his detection, Kakashi cautiously peered down at the main floor, activating his genjutsu once again. Below, Dante and Lyra were lying on the ground. But this sight was far more gruesome than their previous position. It looked as if something had burst from inside Dante, and her withered body lay bisected vertically off to the side. Lyra looked to be without harm, something she demonstrated when she silently stood up. The young woman looked at the destroyed body with no emotion whatsoever, and Kakashi began to understand just what had happened. Lyra was moving about in a totally different manner, her body language strong and willful as opposed to the submissive and eager student she had been just minutes prior. Dante's corpse was something else to worry about. The more he stared at it, the more he realized he had seen something similar before.

In the Forest of Death, during Team 7's first chuunin exam. They had seen Orochimaru in a stolen body. The corpses they had found had been relieved of their own faces. In a raid done on one of Orochimaru's hideouts, they had found a corpse in the same state Dante was in now. No, _Dante_ was walking around, not Lyra.

_She's a body jumper!_ Kakashi thought with realization. A cold feeling of distaste welled up inside him as he watched this old crone revel in the reward she had received for betraying the trust of her adoring pupil. How very much like Orochimaru this lady was. The resemblance was uncanny. Dante looked over her new body like Kakashi would his jounin vest after a wash. A pleased smirk crossed the possessed body's face, and Kakashi's eye narrowed in righteous anger. Mother of the Homunculi and a body snatcher. There was nothing harmless about this old woman.

Kakashi was about to jump down and confront the woman about her actions when the door was thrown open, revealing Edward and Alphonse Elric. Kakashi's eye widened in fear for the boys as 'Lyra' turned to face them. Determine to keep them away lest she have any more tricks up her sleeves, Kakashi jumped down between two.

* * *

By far longer than I ever planned on waiting, but that writer's block I hit has slowly been worn away by some good ol' fashioned brainstorming.


	16. Chapter 16

_Sorry, so sorry. Didn't mean to let this beast sit for a year. I've had some problems, and that's all you'll hear of it. __**Forgiven**__ by Disturbed._

* * *

Naruto winced as a hot blast of air slammed into him from behind, putting him on his weak knee as the explosions rocked the base behind him. Kyuubi was pushed forward by the blast as well, his smaller form more easily thrown by the force. A huge wave of sand blew past them, thrown from the entryway by the force of TNT that had been planted throughout the base. As the explosions continued, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble and shake. He had obviously used _a lot_ of explosives.

As the Naruto's hearing returned to him, he could hear cries of agony and anguish with the tunnels. Forrest had detonated the explosives with his own men still inside. And judging from the smug look on his face, it wasn't an action he entirely regretted.

"I was hoping to catch you inside, kid. But I guess those hormones of yours made you chase this piece of ass faster than I had planned for." He said as he leered at Sakura, still unconscious over his shoulder. Naruto bared his teeth and snarled, rising to his feet once more. Kyuubi, strangely enough, remained still. Naruto's gaze flicked back and forth from the fox to his captive teammate.

_Was the blast stronger than I thought? There's no way that knocked him out._ Naruto thought, a small measure of worry welling up within him. The fox continued to remain motionless, and Naruto was forced to ignore him. He had to focus on Forrest. On Sakura. Kyuubi was playing at something.

"Give her back!" Naruto cried, his hair bristling like fur on a canine. He took a step forward, but Forrest held up a hand.

"Ah ah ah. No sudden moves, kid. I'd hate for your pretty girlfriend to suffer for your own hastiness." He slowly raised a hand up to grab Sakura's waist, knowing that Naruto's crimson eyes followed its every move. The man slowly set Sakura down on the ground, before turning his attention back to Naruto and crossing his arms. Naruto eyed Sakura's still form for a second, and then returned his gaze to Forrest.

There were so many reasons the guy had to just cut and run. He could tell that Naruto was still fighting mad, albeit a little more coherent than from earlier. The teen had torn through the entire base with only a fox at his side. A vicious, throat tearing, demon fox, but a fox nonetheless. So he either had a death wish, or he thought he could handle Naruto. Since he had yet to lose the snide smirk, Naruto could only assume that Forrest thought highly of himself.  
_Ten to one he's an alchemist of some kind. That's the only way he would stand a chance. But what kind of alchemist?_ Naruto narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out Forrest's ace in the hole. _Why would he run for so long, and then turn and face me? If he thought he could take me from the start, why would he sacrifice an entire base?_

Naruto took one more step forward, and then a lot of things happened. Forrest swept a hand sideways, over Sakura, and suddenly she was sucked fifty feet away, blown by a vicious wind. Naruto could see her roll across the sand, and he felt anger drowned by worry. She rolled, bounced, and slid her way to a stop, and did not move. On instinct, he shot forward to attack, tearing up the dry ground from the force of his sudden movement. So focused upon Naruto was Forrest, however, that he didn't see Kyuubi latch on to his arm until he felt the teeth dig into the skin. The man grunted his displeasure and slammed his arm into the ground, slinging the fox into the dirt, before standing to full height and delivering a vicious kick to Kyuubi's ribs. The fox yelped in pain, but held on, his teeth digging into the jacket with the tenacity of a wolf on its prey. Forrest gave him another kick, and then Naruto was on him.

With most of his weight toward Kyuubi, the sensible thing would be to take Forrest's remaining leg out from under him. And that is what Naruto did. With a sweeping kick that nearly mimicked the one that Kyuubi had received, Naruto put his enemy in the dirt. Forrest grunted as his back slammed into the dusty ground, temporarily winding him. Before he could right himself, Kyuubi was after his throat. Naruto appeared in his vision behind the angry demon, kunai in hand, and Forrest's eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"Get out of my face!" He yelled, throwing his hands outward, not toward Kyuubi and Naruto, but to the sides. With a howling gust of wind, sand washed over him, throwing Naruto and Kyuubi in separate directions. The fox was sent rolling, his prone form lying up against Sakura. He didn't get back up.

Naruto dug a nice little trench into ground, digging up the tough, dry ground with his back. The fact that he didn't just skip across the ground paid tribute to the amount of force generated by Forrest's control over what Naruto assumed was wind itself. He winced in pain, his left arm up to cradle his right. It would heal, but any harder and he was sure it would have been fractured. As he looked back over, he noticed that not only was Forrest not fighting off Kyuubi, but the fox wasn't to be found. He strained his eyes, trying to spot his canine partner.

He caught sight of Kyuubi, prone and motionless beside Sakura, who shared his status. They were both unconscious, at least he refused the alternative. That meant he would have to kick it into high gear. Unfortunately, he was nearly out of chakra. He could feel the weariness seeping into his limbs, his adrenaline wearing off. Still, he couldn't afford to let Forrest win.

_If I recall, Edward was unique in transmuting without seals, or Transmutation Circles. That means that if I destroy the circle on him, he won't be able to control the wind._

"How do you do that, controlling the elements themselves on a whim?" Naruto asked, feigning obliviousness in an attempt to coax an explanation from Forrest's obviously raging ego. Judging from the smirk he saw on Forrest, who was now standing, it worked.

"By exerting force with my arms, I can magnify its effect with my alchemy. Since my body affects the flow of the atoms, I use my alchemy to manipulate these atoms and increase the pressure a hundred fold. I'm literally swatting you like a fly." Forrest replied with a haughty grin. As if to further concrete his explanation, he waved his arm in Naruto's direction, sending a wave of pressure straight at the blonde. It picked up sand as it went, and then slammed into the shinobi, the grains of sand hundreds of tiny daggers. To Naruto, it felt like he had been thrown into a blender. He slid further away from his adversary, covered in cuts from the blast of sand. He rolled once before slamming into the foundation of a building cracking it slightly. Forrest smirked cockily, walking over to where Naruto remained. When he reached the teen, he delivered a kick to the downed blonde's ribs.

To his immense shock, the boy disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving him standing alone next to a cracked piece of foundation. The rustle of sand caught his attention, and he turned, sweeping an arm in an attempt to send Naruto flying. The gust of wind flew over empty sand, the demonic blonde nowhere to be found. He cocked an eyebrow, searching for the shinobi in the windy desert. Another shuffle of sand to his left, and Forrest was sent flying before he even saw his attacker. He cartwheeled across the dirt, but managed to dig a foot in, stopping his rotation and slamming himself into the dry ground. Forrest got to his feet hurriedly; trying to make sure the blonde wouldn't capitalize on the punch.

He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and ducked under a flying tackle from Naruto, who disappeared into the beginnings of a sandstorm. As Forrest looked around, the winds were getting stronger, throwing sand everywhere and reducing visibility. It was like a tan snowstorm, only the bite you felt was a cut instead of a cold snowflake. And that gave him an idea.

Forrest swept both arms outward, spinning on his heel as he did so. The cloud of sand Naruto had begun to use for concealment blew fifty feet in every direction, and Naruto himself was thrown back with a cry of surprise. Now that he had the elusive blonde, Forrest laughed hollowly.

"You know, I normally use this technique to keep someone captive," he began, winding up his arm like a pitcher at a baseball game, "but with all this sand around, I think it just might be fatal. Let's give it a try, eh?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he was surrounded by howling wind, a barrier of energy between himself and the outside world. It buffeted him relentlessly, making his uniform flap in the wind with its speed. He growled in irritation and rushed it, trying to force his way out. But the seemingly frail wall of wind acted like a wall, and he was thrown back into the dirt. Through the swirling wind, he could see Forrest's other arm moving, and all of a sudden he felt them. Grains of sand mixed with the wind within his elemental prison, and he felt each and every speck cut into him. Pain blossomed everywhere. He fell to one knee, his clothes being cut to ruin and blood darkening what remained.

In a detached corner of his mind, he recalled that Iruka, and later Jiraiya, had taught him about how some samurai had inflicted a method on their enemies, where they were cut a thousand times, and on the last cut the victim died. Somehow, he didn't think it could compare to being minced by sand.

_Come on, think!_ He berated himself mentally. _You've gotten out of worse scrapes!_ More from reflex than anything, he formed a Rasengan in his right hand, noticing how sluggish his chakra was. His body was healing itself as quickly as it was taking damage, a fact that kept him alive, but was also killing him. This would be his last shot, as he would have no way to perform jutsu after this. His chakra was nearly gone. He prepared to slam the swirling ball of energy into his prison, sand cutting into him all the while, when an idea occurred to his exhausted brain. The technique he had used earlier! He could focus the energy and punch through the barrier, provided that he actually hit his target.

He looked out, straining his eyes to see past the rushing wind. His vision was blurry, and the edges were darkened. He was losing too much blood. But he could see Forrest, standing still and maintaining Naruto's prison. _I've got one shot, so I better make this count. _He focused on his Rasengan, holding it out in front of him as he tried to recreate what had happened earlier. He slowly weakened a pinpoint of space on the Rasengan, being sure to keep the rest of the technique steady. Sure enough, he felt it begin to funnel the chakra toward that point, the swirling energy focusing. He pointed it at Forrest, hoping against hope that it would work. The chakra finally broke free, and Naruto called out in defiance.

"Rasengan Blast!"

Forrest kept spinning his arm, though more slowly now that the technique was stable. He could barely see his captive through the whirlwind of sand, and he couldn't help but smirk. Sure, Krauser would be angry that they hadn't taken the blonde one alive, but circumstances had forced his hand. Forrest had talked his way out of trouble before, and he was certain he could do so again. He looked behind his windy prison, and saw a car approaching from the west. His smirk formed a full grin. Now he wouldn't have to wait around in the heat for a ride.

He was about to cancel to technique and gloat over the finely chopped shinobi when he heard a muffled shout from inside. He stared into the sands, and screamed in pain when suddenly a pulsing red beam of light, with a diameter of an apple and blindly hot, punched through his wall of wind, encompassing and completely disintegrating his left arm up to the elbow before continuing on behind him. The pain was oddly absent; his nerve endings disintegrated and burnt off before he even knew what was happening. The wound was cauterized, but without the circles on both his gloves, his alchemy would not work. He collapsed to his knees, holding the charred stump of his left arm in both horror and confusion, the shock stemming the pain. For some strange reason, the loss of his arm baffled him, as if he had just witnessed an impossibility. His tornado blender collapsed, leaving a bloody shinobi standing in its wake. And he was a sight.

Enormous gashes covered his bare upper body, his shirt stripped away by Forrest's alchemy. The red meat could be clearly seen; his skin had been laid open as if he had been carved with a knife. Blood ran from his many wounds in rivers, coloring the shorts that his pants had become a deep maroon. His legs were similarly butchered, and his boots had long since been destroyed. In all honesty, Forrest wouldn't have been surprised if Naruto fell over and died right that second. But he didn't.

Barely even able to see, Naruto's blood red eyes locked onto Forrest. He stalked forward, wavering only slightly as his body struggled to operate with such little blood. The man before him made no attempt to run, just staring at the shinobi in wonder, as if he were a dead man not yet still.

Naruto quickly dispelled that notion when his fist rammed into Forrest's face, bruising his handsome visage. The blonde reciprocated the action twice more, then picked up Forrest by the lapels of his jacket. The car that had been approaching slowed to a stop thirty feet away from them, the driver peeking his head out quizzically as he saw the two battered enemies stare each other down.

Naruto turned and dragged his adversary toward the car, causing the driver to get nervous. Forrest grunted in pain as his stump came in contact with the ground, sending shocks of agony up his remainder of an arm. When Naruto reached the car, he nearly tore the door open, before throwing Forrest into the back seat.

"I thought you were going to kill me, kid." He stated. This was a situation where phrasing was important. Naruto shook his head, whether to clear his clouding vision or as an answer Forrest couldn't tell.

"I need you to deliver a message to this Krauser guy." Naruto ground out. Even talking hurt, like he'd swallowed half a desert. Which, considering the circumstances, he probably had. "And it's an important message."

"What do you have to say to a guy like Kra- URK!" Dakota Forrest was cut off as a kunai found its way into his trachea. The alchemist gargled on his own blood, his remaining hand coming up in a futile effort to stop the bleeding. The driver of the car freaked, gasping in terror and slamming the vehicle into gear. Naruto closed the door calmly as the wheels spun in the sand, walking away from the stricken driver and his dying superior. Finally, the wheels caught traction, and the car was sent zooming off into the desert, carrying Naruto's 'message' back to the Black Hand leadership.

He stumbled over to where Kyuubi and Sakura had fallen, their unconscious forms hazy in his eyes. Gods, he was exhausted. But he had to drag them out of the sand. If he didn't, they would both give him hell for getting sand in uncomfortable places. He did so, carrying Sakura over his shoulder and Kyuubi under an arm. He set them down as gently as he could in the tunnel leading down into the destroyed base, out of the elements. He sat down across from his teammates, content to sit watch as his wounds healed. Without even realizing it, Naruto fell asleep there, propped up in a concrete tunnel in the middle of the desert. He would not wake up for three days.

* * *

Kakashi didn't know what to expect as he stared 'Lyra' down, being sure to keep between her and the Elric brothers behind him. As with Orochimaru, whatever power she used to jump bodies made her unpredictable. There wasn't exactly a manual on how to handle body jumpers. Now that he thought about it that was probably what made them so dangerous: no one knew how to deal with them.

So imagine his surprise when Dante, who had been around Lyra long enough to understand her body language and mannerisms, called out in a perfect replica of Lyra's voice.

"Ed! I'm so glad you're here! This guy, whoever he is," at this, she shrank away from Kakashi, "he killed Miss Dante with some strange technique! It wasn't Alchemy!" Kakashi would have given her credit for acting it out so flawlessly, had he not seen where this was going.

"Stay back, boys." He said, holding a hand out in front of the two officially confused Elric brothers. "I just watched Dante push Lyra into a Transmutation Circle." He slowly drew a kunai from his pouch, one of the few things he still wore of his old uniform. "I have no idea what it did, but that is _not_ Lyra."

"But that doesn't make sense," He heard Ed say behind him. "There isn't any Alchemy that I can think of that would do something like _that_!" Kakashi got the feeling that the boy was talking about Dante's shed corpse, lying on the floor near where he was perched earlier.

"Yeah!" Al interjected. "Miss Dante was an accomplished Alchemist, too! She always lectured Teacher about the dangers of it, and told her to never perform Human Transmutation! Why would she do it, especially on Lyra?" As he voiced his thoughts, Kakashi saw Lyra hide a grin, her head turned as if in fear. This wasn't going his way. He had to get the boys away from Dante, but odds were they'd buy her story before they'd even consider his. _I'm starting to understand how Itachi felt when he left the village. Playing the bad guy for the greater good is gonna be tough._

He finally decided to go all in on the Itachi plan and spun around, squaring off against the two brothers. He twirled his kunai and held it in a defensive stance, his back to the door now. The brothers noticed his change of face and prepared themselves, Ed already forming the blade on his automail arm.

"Since you guys aren't going to believe me, I'm outta here. Maybe Mustang can convince you." Kakashi said with a sigh. He then turned and ran, not using chakra to boost his speed. He had to move slowly enough that the boys would follow. And follow they did.

"Lyra, get out of here. We'll handle Kakashi!" He heard Ed shout, and soon two sets of footsteps trailed behind him as he sprinted through the door and down a hallway, his aim the front door. His ploy had worked, with some measure of worry about bringing Mustang in on it. Just mentioning him left a trail, but his short term goal was complete; the boys were away from Dante. As for his next move, Kakashi was still working on it as he burst out into the forest, putting on an extra burst of speed to give him some breathing room between himself and the Elrics. At this point, his best bet was to convince them of Dante's treachery while they were out of her reach.

Forming a plan as he went, the experienced jounin leapt up into the trees, setting his trap for the boys. He would make them listen. As he silently entered the safety of the branches, he heard the loud clanking of the younger Elric's armored body.

Ed reached the woods first, though Al was only a few steps behind him. He had just seen Kakashi round the corner, disappear behind the next spruce. And yet, as he came around that same tree, there was no sign of Kakashi. The man had disappeared.

"Aw, nuts. Al. We lost him!" Ed said, gritting his teeth in irritation. He ran ahead, trying to see if the man had simply outrun them. Al followed behind, or so the clanking led him to believe. Together they passed through another copse of trees, towards what looked like a small river crossing.

"Come on Al, we gotta catch him!" He said hurriedly, his breath coming in short gasps as he ran. It wasn't liked he was tired, just that he had slipped into the adrenaline fueled fight-or-flight mode that all humans were gifted with upon birth. It was in this heightened moment that he noticed Al's footsteps had disappeared, and he turned to see where his little brother had gone. To his immense shock and displeasure, Alphonse was nowhere to be found.

"AL! Where'd you go?" He cried out. It didn't make sense, Ed thought to himself as he frowned. First Kakashi disappeared and then so did Al? For some reason, his memory jumped back to Kakashi's bout with Mustang. He had seen Mustang freaking out, asking Hawkeye why she had brown hair, and spouting general nonsense, as if he were seeing things that weren't really there. It had all been an illusion. Was this one as well?

"Al, come on, where'd you go? We can't afford to get separated!" Still not convinced that it wasn't real, Ed cursed and turned around, prepared to continue chasing Kakashi. Al would probably try to cut the ex-Omega captain off, so he charged ahead.

Alphonse followed behind Ed, still reeling at the fact that Kakashi, who they had just started to get to know, had done something as horrible as kill Dante. Judging by the state her body had been in when the boys arrived, he hadn't done it painlessly either.

"Come on Al, we gotta catch him!" Al heard his brother say, that familiar temper of his rising. Al stopped just as Ed did, wondering about his next move. Would they be able get around him, or had they outrun them? He was just about to ask what to do next when Ed turned around. However, instead of focusing on Al, Ed began to search behind him, as if he couldn't see Al. This confused the younger brother.

"Uh, Brother?" He tried, shaking his older brother in mild concern. The blonde didn't even register the shake. He looked around frantically, worry etched into his face.

"AL! Where'd you go?" Ed called. He legitimately could not see Al? Had he gone blind or something?

"Brother, I'm right here. Ed! Snap out of it." He shook the blonde's shoulders harder, but to no avail. Ed continued to search for Al, oblivious to his presence even when his fingers ran into the cold metal of Al's armored body.

"Al, come on, where'd you go? We can't afford to get separated!" He shouted, clawing around as if in total darkness. It perplexed Al to no end. _Of all the times for this to happen, too!_

"Ed, snap out of it. If Kakashi finds us, we're gonna be in trouble!" He was starting to get worried. What if it was permanent? Despite his efforts, Edward showed no sign of awaking from his illusion. Al was tempted to slap him silly, when he heard someone land behind them.

"It doesn't matter what you do, he's not waking up." Kakashi said with a sigh. "Although it is somewhat disappointing that you aren't susceptible to Genjutsu. I guess not having organic senses affects your vulnerability to my Genjutsu." Al whirled on him, leaving Edward to fumble around blindly in a deluded search for the very person trying to snap him out of it. Alphonse put up his arms in the stance Izumi had taught him, his legs in a wide stance. Kakashi examined the stance with a certain amount of intrigue. With an 'eternal rival' like Might Gai, Kakashi had been exposed to a number of taijutsu styles. The stance Alphonse had taken was a balanced defensive stance, one that left few openings and yet allowed him to attack without his defense being compromised. In all honesty, it wasn't a bad style. And given where his weight rested and how he held himself, Kakashi could only assume the boy had a measure of experience using the style.

Kakashi still had more experience, if Mustang's report of the kids' age were correct. He decided to do what he always did when a bunch of kids thought they could take him: pulled out his book and started reading. Every time he did this, his opponents always thought he was mocking them. While that might be the unintended side effect, he actually used it to lower their guard, which made them easier to observe. It had worked with Naruto and the other members of Team 7, and they were trained shinobi, though rank genin at best. If it had worked with them, odds were Alphonse would fall for it too. Unfortunately, without a biological body, with voluntary and involuntary muscle groups and other subtle cues that Kakashi had been trained since adolescence to recognize, Alphonse would be more difficult to predict than a normal human.

To Al's credit, he didn't charge blindly at Kakashi. Instead, he surprised the jounin by backpedaling and smacking his older brother over the back of his head. Ed yelped in pain, clutching his noggin and growling in irritation. He rounded on his brother.

"Al, what the hell! One minute I was looking for you, then the next you..." He paused and realized that he could not only see Alphonse, but Kakashi as well. "Hey, what happened?" In another situation, Al would have laughed at the circumstances.

"Kakashi put you under an illusion, a 'Genjutsu' as he called it. Apparently you woke up when I smacked you over the head." When Al said this, Edward rubbed the back of his head with some measure of soreness.

"Yeah, I noticed. So physical pain can pull us out of his damned illusions. I'll keep that in mind." With his vision cleared, Ed rounded on Kakashi, his bladed arm ready in a similar stance to Al's. Kakashi sighed again; he had hoped to convince Alphonse of his innocence first, and then work with the younger brother to get to Ed. However, it seemed that Alphonse shrewdness would thwart that particular scheme. Still, while Al remained calm and level headed, Edward's temper was much more easily riled. He decided to work that to his advantage.

"Listen up shorty, I lured you guys out here to-" He was cut off by a pillar of hardened dirt passing through where he used to be, dodging to one side.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE FIGHTS OFF ANTS IN HIS SPARE TIME!" Edward screamed in fury, sending another pillar hurtling toward Kakashi. The seasoned jounin ducked under this one as well, realizing too late that mentioning Ed's height might have been a bit over the top.

"I didn't say that!" He protested as Edward rocketed over him, a kick aimed too high in his fury. As the Alchemist rounded for another strike, Kakashi realized that his outburst of childish rage was over, and Edward was probably fighting for real.

Even so, Kakashi continued to read his book, his eye darting between the passages of his book and Edward's metal appendages. The automail was definitely strong, like taking a punch from Gai in one of their many spars. Kakashi blocked only a few blows, and already the palm of his hand was feeling sore. Just as he avoided another flurry of well-placed strikes from Edward, he had to jump out of the way to dodge under an armored elbow from Alphonse. To his surprise, Ed was prepared to strike him as he dodged, going so far as to nick his military issue jacket. The blade of Edward's arm sliced cleanly through the black cloth, but it was too shallow to actually cut his arm. Still, the fact that he even touched Kakashi spoke volumes. Their tandem style was more formidable than he had first assumed. Kakashi smirked as he stashed his book. This would at least give him an opportunity to size up the two brothers.

"You boys don't understand. Dante killed Lyra. I watched her push the girl into the Transmutation Circle." He ducked underneath a double palm strike from Ed, pushing the boy's arms outward and sending him flying with a palm thrust to the sternum. "You're making a mistake. Dante is still alive!"

Edward stayed back this time, allowing Alphonse and his more durable body to swipe and strike as he processed Kakashi's words. They had seen Lyra standing right before their eyes, and it had been Dante's body lying over in the corner. Still though, even as sharp as Kakashi was, he couldn't make up an Alchemic reaction. And there _had _been a Transmutation Circle in Dante's house.

"That doesn't make sense! We watched Lyra leave. Dante was dead! What proof do you have that you didn't do it?" He ducked to the right as Alphonse went flying past him, leaving a sizable trench in the ground from his weight. Ed looked back to see if Al was alright, but when the younger Elric stood up Kakashi was nowhere to be found. They looked around cautiously, remembering how handedly he had defeated Mustang in Central.

Kakashi was standing on Al's shoulders, but since the boy hadn't felt him land, he couldn't tell he was there. _As expected, without a real body he cannot feel physical contact. That means he is judging by the movement, not the touch, of contact when he fights. It is literally a prosthetic body._ As he watched the two brothers look around for him, he couldn't help but feel a small amount of respect come out for them. They had been clobbered by life, forced into this situation after doing something as human as wanting their mother, and yet they were still fighting strong.

_Well, time to put them on their butts and keep them from running off and getting killed._ He flipped off of Al's shoulders, sending the helmet flying off into the woods. Al yelped at his sudden loss of vision and scrambled after his head, while Edward jumped toward where Kakashi would land. The jounin adjusted himself to land in a three point stance, his free hand using Ed's thrust as a means to slam the short Alchemist's face into the ground. He stood quickly as Edward hunched up, then stepped off of his head and jumped over Alphonse as the younger Elric came to help his brother. Ed's indignant cry of anger drew a small smirk across Kakashi's face, though it soon receded as he ducked underneath a surprisingly agile kick from Alphonse. Edward clapped his hands together and slammed them into the ground, creating a barrage of dirt pillars that rushed up underneath Kakashi's feet. Kakashi felt them push up underneath, and instead of avoid them he rode the pillars up, using his excellent balance to stay aloft on a single pillar. Alphonse rushed to the base of his miniature dirt forest and swiped half of them down, including the one Kakashi was balancing on. The jounin rolled in the air, flipping backwards, before kicking the airborne pillar into Al's chest. The younger Elric met the projectile with a hard straight punch, turning it into a cloud of dust that obscured the general area.

In the low visibility of the dust, Edward kept a keen eye out, his back to Alphonse's as they tried to pierce the cloud. He slowly stepped forward and felt Alphonse shift to follow. Or at least, he thought that was the plan, until he felt Al's metal arms come up underneath his own, hands clasping behind his head in a classic nelson.

"AL, WHAT THE HELL?! LEMME GO!" He screeched, kicking and straining against the hold of his treacherous brother. He kept struggling, until the sound of metal striking metal pierced the air at the same time the cloud of dust cleared. Ed was astounded to see a second Alphonse, presumably the _real_ Alphonse, clobber his assailant over the head in a hammer blow. The doppelganger, obviously defeated, released Edward and toppled sideways, before disappearing in a cloud of white smoke. The two Elrics' eyes widened in surprise. They hadn't seen clones change into other people before.

"Man, this guy is just full of surprises, isn't he?" Ed muttered rhetorically, looking around the woods again in an effort to catch a glimpse of Kakashi. At this rate, it was obvious he was toying with them; that clone could have just as easily slid one of those throwing knives right between his ribs as it had apprehended him. Kakashi wasn't trying to kill them.

"Earth style: Terran Prison!" Then again...

Edward gasped in surprise as four huge walls appeared around him, each about a foot thick and very sturdy. He tried to jump out of the trap before it closed, but his short stature stopped him from reaching the roof just as it closed.

"Ah, damn it! This won't keep me pinned!" He vowed, already clapping his hands together for a transmutation. He slammed his hands into the nearest wall, breaking it apart and showering the clearing with shards of hardened dirt. He stepped back out into the brisk night air, only to see Kakashi and Alphonse locked in martial arts combat, trading blows at impressive speeds that Ed's eyes could barely follow.

Kakashi found the fight between himself and Alphonse to be a bit exciting. With his added weight and whatever gave him control over the suit of armor he now called a body, Alphonse was the stronger and heavier handed of the two. That didn't mean he wasn't fast, but it did mean that Kakashi's blocks were few and far between, his reflexes and experience helping his duck under strikes and sidestep surprise front kicks. He wouldn't need to use his Sharingan, but the boys were forcing him to at least focus. He could commend them for that at least.

The close quarters brawl came to a close when Kakashi overextended his arm on a strike toward Alphonse's face, allowing the boy to grab said arm and hurl the jounin over his shoulder. Kakashi's eye widened in surprise as he hurtled through the air, his final destination a ready-made cage, courtesy of Edward's alchemic reaction. Just before he fell into their clever trap, however, his hands came together to form a single handsign. And just like that, he vanished, leaving only a swirl of leaves in his wake. Edward gaped at the escape; he had set everything perfectly! There was nothing for him to kick off of, no leverage of any kind, and yet he escaped!

"AUGH! WHY CAN'T WE GET HIM?!" He screamed to the night air, punching his automail arm into his now useless cage, making one of the bars spider web from the impact.

"Ed, settle down! He could still be around here." Alphonse said, a sweatdrop forming on the back of his head as he tried to calm his elder down. Ed refused to do so, throwing a miniature tantrum as he kicked the cage next to him and stomped the ground in frustration. They didn't even notice Kakashi step out of the shadows until he whistled for their attention. They both stopped fooling around and faced him, guards up, but Kakashi's hands were in his pockets.

"I lured you guys out here to get you away from Dante. She killed Lyra right in front of me, using that Transmutation Circle on the floor of her foyer." He shrugged in a noncommittal way. "I can't show you my memories or anything like that. All I have is my word, and that of the Homunculus known as Greed." At the mention of the creature that had captured them, the two brothers stiffened, before exchanging looks. Taking their silence as a gesture to continue, Kakashi did so.

"According to Greed, he and Envy were both created almost one hundred years ago, by capitalizing on Human Transmutation. They were both created by Dante." He shook his head at the notion; still reeling himself at what Greed had told him. When the two had escaped from the raid on the Devil's Nest, Greed had been quite forthcoming with information.

"That can't be!" Ed said, not grasping the connection between Kakashi's earlier claims and the information Greed had given him. "That would make Dante over one hundred years old! I know she looks old, but there's no way she is THAT old!" Kakashi shook his head, slightly irritated that they still weren't getting the point.

"Didn't you hear me earlier? She killed Lyra in there. Old woman pushes young woman into a giant Transmutation Circle. Young woman emerges, old woman's body in rent open but there are no organs. Unless Dante killed herself and absolutely nothing happened to the girl, there is no other explanation. And just how likely is that one?" Kakashi pressed.

To Edward, the concept was just too bizarre. Dante, walking around wearing Lyra like a suit? But if what Kakashi said was true, and Dante had not only murdered Lyra, but also created Greed and Envy... he needed time to think. The revulsion from the body jumping theory alone was enough to make his stomach quiver. Al seemed especially disgusted.

"There's no way Dante would do that! Lyra looked up to her! Not the woman who trained teacher! You must be wrong..." And yet, even he did not sound so sure.

"I know what I saw. I don't know much about Alchemy, but I will tell you that two people went in, and one came out. And it was Dante's array." With that said, he turned and began to walk away, his dark uniform melding into the twilight shadows of the forest.

"Wait, Kakashi!" Edward cried out, one last plea. "One more thing before you go." He was almost certain Kakashi would ignore him, but the jounin stopped. He turned his head to listen to them, the only visible sign of said motion being the glint of his skeletal mask in the moonlight. It was literally the only thing distinguishable about his dark form.

"Why did you save us?" The question wasn't meant to be an accusation, but Kakashi took it as one anyway. Did they really see him as someone who would needlessly kill, children at that? While they might not consider themselves children, there was no doubt in his mind that they were still young and naïve. Their perspective explained their reluctance to trust him, but was it because of the uniform, or was it something else?

"That you even feel the need to ask shows that you never trusted me in the first place." He said mournfully, but then sighed. "I guess it's because I've seen too many young people die out of ignorance. And maybe it's because you remind of my students. Speaking of which," he turned back to the darkness, his voice fading as he walked farther away from the two Elrics, "I have to go track them down. Last I knew, Sakura had been kidnapped by terrorists and Naruto was in some desert town called Liore."

Another bomb dropped on the Elrics, but this time Kakashi was gone before they could stop him. What was the military, or at the very least Naruto, doing in Liore? Edward's thoughts immediately flew to Rose and the people they had left without a god, after they had shown Father Cornello for the fraud he had been.

"Brother, do you think Rose is okay?" Of course, Al had been thinking along the same lines. Edward just took a deep breath and exhaled, calming himself from their fight with Kakashi.

"I don't know Al. But I hope so. Come on, we gotta get back to Central. Mustang will want to hear about this, if only because Kakashi was involved."

* * *

**(AN: This next bit is a little graphic. You may want to skim a bit here if you are of frail hearts.)**

* * *

It had been easier pickings to find the Lt. Colonel's address, given that he could take the shape of anyone he wished. And he had a special ruse in mind, one that fit perfectly. He hadn't been seen in weeks, and in light of the attack on Pride, he was the perfect candidate. Every motion made by the Homunculi had to be carefully covered up. Pride was exceptionally good at this, being the Fuhrer, but Envy had been repeatedly advised by their master to be discreet.

He had followed the newly reassigned members of Omega, Second Lieutenants Issac Clarke and Jonathan Drake, in an effort to improve his authenticity. In his century of living, Envy had grown adept at being able to replicate the finest details of a person's characteristics with only a few moments of observation. But after his last encounter with Hughes and Despair, he felt the need to go the extra mile with this one. Once he knew what an Omega uniform looked like, he had spent some manner of hours in front of a mirror, pulling that hated visage from his brain and doing his absolute damnedest to copy it perfectly. The fact that Envy had put so much effort into this one job really showed how the Omega captains had gotten under his skin.

So when he knocked on the door of Lt. Colonel Hughes' home, he'd perfected the image of Naruto Uzumaki. He had declined the photos of Hughes' daughter Elicia, who had been sitting in the same room, just as Naruto would. As he stood in the doorway, his faux-uniform caked with blood, he even noted with no small amount of satisfaction that to the coroner and every other person who examined the crime scene that he had used the kunai as Death would.

Hughes had been the first, as he had posed the greatest, and only, threat. When he had turned to pull a cake out of the oven – most likely baked for the daughter he loved to spoil – Envy had wrapped an arm across his chest and slid the knife across his throat before the man had known what was happening. Gracia Hughes had been a somewhat amusing target, the knife lodged into her chest as she stared into Envy's then crimson eyes in shock. The concept that someone Maes had trusted killing him, and then her, baffled her long after the light had faded from her eyes. It was moments like that that made Envy enjoy this line of work.

If he'd actually cared for humans, he might have hesitated when he'd found little Elicia attempted to rouse her deceased father, tears streaming down her face in pure sorrow as the shadow fell upon her. He'd stabbed her several times, taking a distant pleasure in the fading volume of her cries. She had truly loved her father, asking his motionless body with her last breath, "Daddy, why is he hurting us?"

And when he walked out of the home of Maes, Gracia, and Elicia Hughes, Envy made sure that at least three patrolling soldiers saw him do so. When the morning came, Maes was not seen at work. Out of curiosity if nothing else, his subordinate Archer sent men to his home to discover the reason behind his tardiness. Within three hours, guards on patrol the previous night were called to Central Headquarters for an emergency. All three involved would point out Naruto's picture from a list.

And Roy Mustang would receive a call that he would regret taking for the rest of his life.

* * *

I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But I decided that I would either convert it to Brotherhood, effective scrapping this story, or turn it up a notch. Again, I apologize for the darkness.


End file.
